AIR and sea ports across the country will implement a cut on terminal fees to help cushion the impact of fuel price surge brought about by the turmoil in the Middle East.
In a press conference on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, Department of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said that during a meeting with the maritime sector, it was proposed to reduce roll-on/roll-off (Roro) terminal fees from P516 to P1 for class 3 and 4 vehicles or those carrying raw and unprocessed agriculture products such as grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and livestock.
Lopez said the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is expected to decide within the day and implementation will not be later than April 15.
Once approved, the piso Roro terminal fees will be in effect for six months unless it is terminated earlier.
Lopez said the move aims to help stabilize prices of basic and prime commodities.
In a statement, PPA General Manager Jay Santiago said there will be no increase in passenger or cargo terminal fee in all sea ports they operate across the country amid the rising oil prices.
Meanwhile, he said there is no link between the waiving port charges and the fluctuating prices of petroleum products as it will only affect the operation of the PPA.
“Pagdating naman sa port charges, linawin po natin na ang share lamang po ng gobyerno dyan ay 10 percent lamang na katumbas ng 0.3 percent ng presyo ng bilihin pagdating sa mga tindahan. Ang malaking bahaging presyo ng transportasyon ng mga bilihin ay sa shipping charges na nagkakahalaga ng halos 50 percent ng logistics cost ng mga bilihin,” Santiago explained.
(As for port charges, let’s clarify that the government’s share is only 10 percent, which is equivalent to just 0.3 percent of the retail price of goods. The larger portion of transportation costs comes from shipping charges, which account for nearly 50 percent of the total logistics cost of goods.)
Port authorities collect port fees from shipping owners for the use of facilities and its services, such as docking, cargo handling, security, and storage.
“Kung mawawala ang port charges, walang ipapa-sweldo sa mga kawani ng PPA, walang pantustos sa kanyang operasyon at pambayad sa mga ginagawang proyekto nito,” he added.
(If port charges are removed, there will be no funds to pay the salaries of PPA personnel, support its operations, or finance its ongoing projects.)
The Transportation secretary also announced that terminal fees for airports will be reduced by P200 per passenger.
“Direkta po ang effect neto. For example, ang ticket po ninyo ay P2,000 but because of the reduction of the terminal fee, makakaasa po kayo na ang ticket ninyo papalo nalang ng P1,800,” said Lopez.
(The effect of this is direct. For example, if your ticket costs P2,000, the reduction in the terminal fee means you can expect it to go down to around P1,800.)
He said discounts will also be implemented for take-off and landing fees of airlines.
“Puwedeng umabot hanggang P5,000 per landing and per take-off ang matitipid ng ating airline companies,” he added.
(Airline companies could save up to P5,000 per landing and per takeoff.)
Lopez said it will be effective for three months starting on April 1.
He noted the increase of jet fuel from $89 per barrel to now $200 per barrel due to the conflict in the Middle East. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)