A CEBU-BASED listed fuel distributor has approved the creation of a wholly owned subsidiary in Singapore as part of its long-term vertical integration strategy, the company said in a Feb. 25, 2026 disclosure in the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Top Line Business Development Corp. said its board authorized the establishment of a Singapore-based trading house that will serve as its international trading arm for fuel importation.
The move aims to strengthen supply chain control, improve procurement efficiency, and support the expansion of import activities of its logistics unit, Topline Logistics and Development Corp. (TLDC), which recently secured a certificate of registration from the Bureau of Customs to undertake fuel importation.
The new entity will allow the company to directly engage global fuel suppliers and optimize sourcing arrangements as it scales up its import footprint.
“This initiative is a strategic step toward our long-term vertical integration strategy by optimizing our end-to-end supply chain. By establishing a trading presence in Singapore, we enhance fuel supply reliability and efficiently structure costs. Over time, this is expected to improve margins and sourcing efficiency across our network,” said Constance Marie C. Lim, first vice president and chief financial officer.
Singapore is Asia’s largest oil trading hub and a key gateway between Middle Eastern producers and Southeast Asian markets, positioning the company closer to major trading platforms and global pricing benchmarks.
Top Line is engaged in commercial fuel trading, depot operations, and retail fuel in the Visayas. Aside from TLDC, it owns Light Fuels Corp., which operates in the retail segment.
The company recently completed the renovation and rebranding of eight fuel stations in northern Cebu, increasing potential monthly sales capacity by up to one million liters as it targets the region’s motorcycle-dominated market.
Cluster 1 of its acquired retail network is now fully operational under the Light Fuels Express format. The stations are located in Medellin, Bogo, Daanbantayan, Tabogon, Sogod, Borbon, Catmon and Carmen, where two-wheeled vehicles account for about 80 percent of the local fuel market.
The renovated cluster is projected to generate between 800,000 and one million liters in monthly sales, forming part of a broader cluster-based renovation and rebranding program covering Cebu, Leyte, Siquijor and Negros Oriental. Renovations for Clusters 2, 3 and 4 are scheduled for completion by end-2026. / KOC