in Port News

23/12/2025

The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the flagship facility of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and the Philippines’ leading international trade gateway, handled a record three million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025—the first time the terminal has reached that level in a single year.

The record container was handled on December 22, when the terminal serviced the container vessel Ever Bliss, operated by Evergreen Marine Corp., carrying cargo for Universal Robina Corp.

Christian Lozano, MICT chief executive officer, said the result reflected the terminal’s capacity to handle higher volumes while maintaining service levels during the peak season. “Handling three million TEUs shows how the MICT has kept pace with rising demand through continued operational improvements and capacity expansion,” he said.

MICT caps off 2025 with three million TEU milestone. Photo shows (from left) Frank Domogoma and John Wu of Evergreen; Roberto Agustin and Alan Surposa of URC; Christian Lozano, MICT chief executive officer; Jose Carlo Javier, MICT terminal director; Capt. Melecio Pascua, Ever Bliss vessel master; and Bryan Kuo and Jesus Gomez of Evergreen, during the ceremonial handling of the terminal’s three millionth TEU container.

The increase in volume coincided with sustained investments in equipment and infrastructure during the year. These included the deployment of hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes, the addition of terminal tractors to support higher throughput, and the terminal’s initial exploration of electric terminal tractors under its modernization program.

Construction is progressing on the terminal’s eighth berth, which includes a 300-meter quay and a combined quay and yard development covering 12 hectares. Of this total area, 6.5 hectares are already operational. Designed with a 15-meter depth, Berth 8 will be able to accommodate container vessels with 18,000 TEU capacities, with delivery of three quay cranes scheduled for 2027.

Once the berth expansion is completed, the MICT’s annual handling capacity is expected to rise to 3.5 million TEUs.

“Our priority is to deliver consistent and efficient service to customers and ensure cargo continues to move reliably as volumes grow,” Lozano said.

MICT accounts for about 70 percent of Manila port volumes and remains the country’s largest and busiest container terminal, serving as a primary gateway for international cargo entering and leaving the Philippines.

Source: ICTSI