Visayas Container Terminal adds Maersk PH6 service in Iloilo

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Visayas Container Terminal (VCT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) operation in the Port of Iloilo, welcomed the inaugural call of Maersk’s PH6 service, marking a step toward improving international trade connectivity for the Visayas region.

The service gives customers in Panay and the wider Western Visayas region direct access to key trade hubs such as Yantian in Mainland China and Hong Kong, connecting major global markets in the Asia Pacific, the United States, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Importers and exporters can use the service’s optimized transit times to lower their logistics costs.

“The addition of the PH6 service to VCT’s offerings highlights the terminal’s growing role in regional trade. It also reflects the trust in our capabilities as a modern gateway capable of seamlessly handling foreign container ships and providing customers with precise, reliable service,” said John Largo, VCT chief executive officer.

Maersk’s PH6 service calls VCT every Tuesday, following the port rotation of Yantian (Shenzhen), Hong Kong, Batangas, Tagoloan (Cagayan area), Cebu, Iloilo, and Yantian.

Visayas Container Terminal is ICTSI’s first operation in Central Philippines. The company took over the operation and development of the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex on April 15, 2024, under a 25-year concession awarded by the Philippine Ports Authority, renaming the facility the Visayas Container Terminal.

ICTSI was the sole bidder for the project, with the Philippine Ports Authority issuing its notice of award on Jan. 29, 2024. Since assuming operations, the terminal has invested in modernization, including two mobile harbor cranes delivered in September 2024, the first of their kind in Panay Island.

Located at the heart of Central Philippines’ high-growth regions, VCT features modernized infrastructure for enhanced connectivity.

The terminal is supported by an extensive regional road network that helps drive regional trade and market expansion for Western Visayas’ leading agriculture and fisheries exports.

ICTSI is an independent global terminal operator with maritime gateway facilities across the Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Established in the Philippines in 1987, the company collaborates with governments to modernize port infrastructure and enhance operational performance.

It focuses on origin and destination terminals and applies consistent environmental, safety, and governance standards across a six-continent portfolio of 33 terminals in 19 countries.