DP World and Asian Terminals Invest $100 mn to boost capacity at Manila South Harbour

The Manila South Harbour (MSH), the Philippines’ premier international trade gateway, received a major operational boost as DP World and its strategic partner, Asian Terminals Inc., have announced the completion of milestone projects, poised to promote long-term economic growth and trade for the Philippines and Southeast Asia growth corridor.

DP World and ATI invested approximately $100 million on projects which include the extension of Pier 3 berth to over 600 metres, yard expansion to accommodate 20,000 TEUs, the addition of two new Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, and purchase of eco-friendly landside equipment.

An official ceremony was held earlier in the day at MSH to celebrate this significant development. Led by Department of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, the event was attended by DP World’s senior leadership led by His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, Philippine Ports Authority’s General Manager Jay Santiago, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, ATI President Eusebio Tanco as well as major stakeholders, customers, and industry partners.

In all, the recent development projects bring MSH’s annual throughput capacity to nearly two million TEUs, growing capacity by over 25% from 1.45 million TEUs previously. This enables the terminal to accommodate more cargo volume and bigger ships deployed by international carriers, providing faster and safer turnaround times to support the country’s international trade.

The two neo post-panamax STS cranes, manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, are the largest among MSH’s 11 quay-side equipment and among the biggest ever deployed in the Philippines. With an outreach of 58 metres, each STS crane can handle vessels carrying up to 20 containers wide. Each crane is equipped with modern safety and operational features such as intelligent sensing systems for monitoring speed, vibration, temperature, trailer positioning, anti-collision, and automated diagnostics.

Plans are also underway to deploy electric and hybrid landside equipment, including yard tractors, container loaders and rubber-tired gantry cranes in support of MSH’s carbon reduction initiatives.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, DP World Group Chairman & CEO, commented: “DP World is honoured to be partnering the Philippine government in modernising and advancing its critical trade infrastructure, by working closely with our local partner ATI. Investment in ports and logistics brings greater value down the value chain and prosperity to communities, a commitment which we embody in DP World as a trade enabler and leader in smart logistics.”

“Building on our strong partnership and seeing huge economic potential, we are lining up more investment projects in the coming years to future-proof the gateway terminals in Manila, Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna, in support of the resilient growth of the Philippine economy.”

Vince Dizon, Department of Transportation Secretary, commented:“The modernisation projects at MSH are a testament to the long-standing private-public-partnership to enhance the country’s trade facilities and capabilities, which are crucial in sustaining the country’s economic growth momentum. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. values the importance of the role that the private sector plays as a driving force of the Philippine economy. We extend our gratitude to our partners from ATI and DP World for bringing in the operational knowledge, expertise, and resources, to make robust trade happen in the Philippines as an emerging economic powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region.”

Jay Daniel Santiago, Philippine Ports Authority General Manager, commented:“With bigger and more efficient facilities, through our partners in the private sector, we are elevating the capacity and capability of the country’s ports, particularly the Manila South Harbour, to connect the Philippines with the rest of the world, and serve as catalyst to long-term growth and prosperity, in support of port stakeholders.”

Eusebio H. Tanco, ATI President, commented:“We are very pleased to inaugurate these major development projects that collectively enhance our capacity and capability in delivering comprehensive and market-responsive services to our customers and stakeholders. ATI, alongside our partners from DP World, stands proud of our contribution to powering economic progress by ensuring supply chain efficiency through ATI’s strategic ports and logistics assets.”

In 2024, ATI handled almost 1.6 million TEUs in cumulative container volume, over 4% higher as compared to 2023. Of this, MSH handled around 1.3 million TEUs, nearly 8% higher than the total volume it handled the previous year, reflective of the expansion of the country’s economy.

For the first quarter of 2025 alone, MSH handled over 350,000 TEUs of international container boxes, over 25% higher compared to the same period in 2024, signalling the strong and resilient growth of the economy.

ATI is the local partner of DP World in the Philippines operating Manila South Harbour, the Integrated Batangas Port, Cavite Barge Terminal, and strategic inland logistics terminals which bring cargoes closer to beneficial cargo owners. The partnership leverages the local expertise of ATI and DP World’s global network and expertise to deliver comprehensive and innovative trade solutions for a more robust Philippine supply chain.