CPA grants cargo service providers 50% remittance discount

Local

A SECOND wave of relief now rolls through Cebu ports as authorities expand fuel-crisis interventions affecting both passengers and cargo operations.

The Cebu Port Authority issued Memorandum Circular No. 5, Series of 2026, granting a 50 percent discount on the remittance of Domestic Cargo Handling Share across all CPA-accredited cargo handling service providers operating in CPA-managed ports.

CPA General Manager Francisco Comendador III signed and implemented the measure in a memorandum on Monday, April 27, describing it as an additional intervention amid the ongoing energy crisis.

The move followed Memorandum Circular No. 4 issued on April 1, 2026.

Circular No. 4 earlier suspended passenger terminal fees across CPA-owned and operated terminals and introduced a 40 percent discount on berthing and anchorage fees for domestic vessels.

It also waived selected charges, including RoRo wharfage fees for agricultural cargo vehicles and several permits issued under Harbor Control Center authority.

CPA also placed Circular No. 4 under a two-month implementation period from April 18 to June 17, 2026, with the policy subject to review depending on prevailing conditions in fuel prices and port operations.

Building on those earlier measures, Circular No. 5 extends support to the cargo handling sector by cutting the remittance share in half for accredited operators.

The agency set the implementation period at two months, from May 10 to July 9, 2026.

CPA anchored both circulars on R.A. 7621, Executive Order No. 110 declaring a State of National Energy Emergency, and CPA Board Resolution No. 1383-2026.

The authority said the measures aim to stabilize port operations while reducing the financial strain on stakeholders affected by rising fuel costs, which have increased shipping, logistics, and transport expenses across the sector.

CPA added that it continues to monitor fuel and operational conditions as it maintains essential port services in Cebu.

"CPA remains committed to ensuring the continuous and efficient delivery of port services while supporting the maritime industry and the commuting public during the ongoing fuel crisis," they added.

Earlier, a major shipping group raised concerns over what it described as unusually high marine fuel prices and called on the Department of Energy (DOE) to step in.

In a March 11 letter to Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, the Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association Inc. said its members reported marine fuel being sold at rates higher than regular retail pump prices.

The group said this runs counter to standard practice in domestic shipping, where operators directly purchase from fuel depots under wholesale arrangements. It noted that bulk buying typically brings prices 5 to 10 percent lower than pump levels.