MindaNews / 8 January –The Polloc Freeport and Ecozone (PFEZ), which has expressed readiness to meet international port standards and is now undergoing upgrades to attract shipping and logistics operators, is expecting an increase in foreign vessel arrivals this year.
Salipada Alongan, PFEZ director, said that Polloc Freeport ended 2025 and kicked off 2026 positively with two foreign vessels unloading imported products at the facility.
“We are looking to sustain this momentum of having more foreign vessels utilizing the Polloc Freeport this year,” Alongan told MindaNews on the phone.
Part of the efforts to attract more foreign shipping vessels, as well as local importers and exporters, to utilize Polloc Freeport is the construction of a modern 4,800-square meter industrial warehouse worth P80 million, he said.
Alongan also noted the PFEZ management has been continuously working to promote the facility as the Bangsamoro region’s international gateway for trading and logistics.
Last January 5, MV Sun Gold unloaded 12,000 metric tons of cement from Vinh Tan, Vietnam, starting 2026 on a bright note for the PFEZ, the official said.
The consignee of the Portland Cement was identified as Fortem Cement Port.
This shipment will support critical infrastructure and construction projects across BARMM, generating employment, boosting local industries, and contributing to the region’s economic growth, PFEZ said in a statement.
The vessel’s arrival underscores PFEZ’s continued readiness to meet international port standards and reinforces its role as a strategic gateway for trade in the Bangsamoro region, it added.
Last December 15, another foreign vessel arrival capped 2025 for the Polloc Freeport.
MV VTC Dragon unloaded 19,800 metric tons of yellow corn from Yangon, Myanmar, consigned to Lamsan Inc., a major corn wet milling company in the country with a manufacturing plant in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
Alongan said that last year, five foreign vessels utilized Polloc Freeport to unload imported products, coming from Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.
Domestic shipping operators also used Polloc Freeport to transport river sand and agricultural products from the Maguindanao provinces, such as banana and coconut, to other parts of the country, he added.
Minister Farserina Mohammad of the Bangsamoro Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism has vowed to prioritize the Polloc Freeport and Ecozone as a major hub for trade and investments in the region.
She earlier said that Polloc Freeport should open greater opportunities for growth, competitiveness and inclusive development in the Bangsamoro region.
Mohammad said they are envisioning the Polloc Freeport as a “standard-setter” for the Bangsamoro region in driving sustainable economic progress.
Sukarno Abas, Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority (BEZA) executive director, said that promoting the PFEZ to investors is also one of their major priorities.
“If we fail to prioritize it, we fail to maximize one of our region’s greatest assets. But if we succeed, PFEZ can become a true engine of growth—creating jobs, attracting industries, and generating revenues that will sustain our people for generations,” Abas said.
The 129-hectare Polloc port was declared a freeport and special economic zone in 2010 by the Bureau of Customs and the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, respectively.
Under Republic Act 7916 or the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, businesses operating in special economic zones can enjoy fiscal incentives and local and national tax exemptions, among others. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
Reference: Polloc Freeport eyes more foreign vessel arrivals in 2026