BATANGAS — No delays. No excuses. No playing small.
The Bureau of Customs – Port of Batangas just fired a bold warning shot across the logistics industry: South Luzon is gearing up for a massive trade surge — and it’s happening now.
At the center of it all?
District Collector Carmelita “Mimel” Talusan — calm, calculated, and clearly in command.
In a high-level meeting on February 23, 2026, Talusan welcomed executives from Bauan International Port, Inc. (BIPI) and Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal (LGICT) to lock in expansion plans for the South Luzon Container Terminal (SLCT) — a project poised to redefine the country’s cargo landscape.
And this is not a minor facelift.
This is a full-blown transformation.
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FROM 22 HECTARES TO A 56-HECTARE GIANT
The SLCT expansion will more than double its footprint — from 22 hectares to 56.21 hectares — with a jaw-dropping capacity of over 2 million TEUs annually.
Translation?
Bigger ships.
Faster turnaround.
Less congestion in Metro Manila.
More muscle for Southern Luzon.
Construction kicked off in Q3 2025. Phase 1 wraps up by end-2027. Full operations? Targeted by 2028.
Once complete, SLCT won’t just compete.
It aims to become the second-largest and most modern container terminal in the country.
And it sits just 8.6 kilometers from the Port of Batangas — a strategic positioning that screams efficiency.
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TALUSAN: STEADY HAND, STRONG SIGNAL
Collector “Mimel” Talusan made one thing clear: this expansion is not optional — it’s essential.
Under her watch, the Port of Batangas isn’t just processing cargo. It’s positioning itself as a regional logistics powerhouse.
Talusan emphasized that the project will:
•Accelerate trade growth
•Boost operational efficiency
•Support sustainable port development
•Strengthen CALABARZON’s economic engine
Her message to stakeholders?
Stay ready. Stay compliant. Stay competitive.
Because Batangas is scaling up.
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NEPOMUCENO’S MODERNIZATION PUSH IN FULL THROTTLE
Behind this aggressive push stands Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, whose modernization agenda is moving from blueprint to battlefield execution.
Nepomuceno has been relentless in driving:
•Trade facilitation reforms
•Streamlined Customs processes
•Digital modernization
•Stronger public-private partnerships
The SLCT expansion aligns squarely with his mission: build a world-class, service-oriented Customs administration that can handle global trade volumes without breaking stride.
This isn’t theory.
It’s infrastructure.
Its capacity.
It’s long-term dominance.
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SOUTH LUZON RISES
For years, congestion at Metro Manila ports has choked supply chains and slowed commerce.
Now?
Southern Luzon is stepping up to absorb the volume and rewrite the trade map.
With SLCT expanding into a 56-hectare container titan, Batangas is positioning itself as the pressure valve — and possibly the future nerve center — of Philippine maritime trade.
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One thing is certain:
Under Talusan’s steady command and Nepomuceno’s modernization crusade, the Bureau of Customs isn’t waiting for the future.
They’re building it.
And when SLCT hits full stride by 2028?
South Luzon won’t just be participating in trade.
It will be driving it.
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