A groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the P16.93-billion New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP) was carried out on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 in the Municipality of Consolacion, north Cebu.

The project to be constructed in Barangay Tayud is geared at further economic development through speedy transport of goods and services.

The groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremony marks the start of the project soon.

Over P9 billion of the amount will be made available through loan, while the national government’s counterpart is pegged at P7.27 billion.

The ceremony was led by Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines Lee Sang-Hwa, and officials of the funding agency.

It was learned that to further achieve the said project, a reclamation project will be undertaken to create a 25-hectare island.

“Will further solidify Cebu’s status as a vital trade gateway in the region,” Ambassador Lee said.

As for Secretary Bautista, he underscored that the project is more than just a port.

“The NCICP is more than just a port, it is a symbol of progress, collaboration, and our collective commitment to enhancing the efficiency and reliability of our nation’s infrastructure; a new era in maritime infrastructure for Cebu and the Visayas region,” Bautista said.

Bautista added that the current international port operates on near-capacity, thus the need for the construction of a new port.

“Improve handling and containers trucking facilities, while reducing road congestion around the Cebu base port. In doing so we pave the way for a seamless flow of goods and services,” Bautista further said. 

Local officials have welcomed the project as it is expected to generate thousands of jobs to benefit local workers. 

“One of the components to be established in Cebu is to have a very good logistics facility in terms of international port. The plan of JICA [Japan International Cooperation Agency] 22 years ago was really identifying this particular area - Tayud, Consolacion - because this has the deepest ramp,” Alegado, the town mayor, said.

As for Kit Comendador, general manager of the Cebu Port Authority, the new international container port will prepare Cebu for huge ships.

“Will encourage opportunity, at least ready na ang Cebu mo-accept og mga dagko nga barko. Sa atong karaan nga international port, tungod man gud pod sa limitation adto in terms of space, duna say airdrop requirement kay di kasu’d ang dagkong barko, kay tulo na ka bridge naa didto, dili kasu’d,” Comendador said.