The project is currently in the engineering design phase, which is expected to be wrapped up in the coming months and could begin by 2026. Once started, the Public Private Partnership project could take 3-4 years to complete.
“Bataan is underrated,” said Chua, the chair of Premium Infinite Ventures Inc., an emerging business group involved in construction, real estate, manufacturing, mining, and shipbuilding.
He said a major catalyst is the 32-kilometer Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge, with its landing located a few kilometers from the transshipment hub.
“Before, we didn’t have a bridge to consider. But five years from now, Bataan will be the top choice as an industrial estate,” Chua told business reporters and editors during an interview on Wednesday.
Adani heir visited the Philippines
Karan Adani, the CEO of Adani Ports, made a courtesy call at Malacañang Palace in May last year to discuss the project with President Marcos.
He is the son of Gautam Adani, whose business empire spans ports, airports, power, green energy, and cement. The Adanis control India’s second-largest family fortune worth $116 billion (P6.8 trillion), according to Forbes Magazine.
Chua, who recently purchased listed dormant firm Asiabest Group International to list other assets within the group, recalled efforts to partner with the world’s biggest port groups.
“We also invited Dubai Port, Abu Dhabi Port. But the one that showed the most interest was Adani,” he said.
Project overview
The 235-hectare Bataan Transshipment Hub will expand the municipality and the Bataan Freeport Area, with a capacity of up to 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units.
The project will position the Philippines as a major trade hub, linking the country to key markets such as North America and Asia-Pacific.
It will also feature a mixed-use commercial area and tourist attractions like a fisherman’s wharf, according to Chua’s group.
“With the port development and the bridge, it’s going to be a game changer in the province of Bataan,” said Jan Michael Lim, chief investment officer of Premium Infinite Ventures.
Lim said the project will be undertaken by Megaport, one of several companies owned by Premium Infinite Ventures.
Ideal location
According to Chua, an engineer, Bataan is an ideal location not only because of its proximity to the Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge but also due to its natural geographic features, making it suitable for the transshipment hub.
Meanwhile, the Bataan–Cavite Interlink Bridge is expected to unlock the area’s economic potential since it will facilitate easy access between Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, Central Luzon and Metro Manila.
“This bridge creates a loop so economic growth will flow,” he said.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
