Wong Chu King Holdings’ new port in Batangas City built at a cost of P800 million is now home to the Philippines’ largest agri-based cooperative’s grain terminal and trading project aimed at boosting incomes for corn farmers and the livestock industry in the Southern Tagalog region.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inaugurated the P278.3 million grain terminal and trading project of the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC), which includes a 12,000-metric-ton capacity silo integrated into SIDC’s existing feed mill. The project was funded by a World Bank loan, with counterpart funding from the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project and SIDC.
The event was attended by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., SIDC chairman Angelito Bangui, SIDC chief executive Rico Geron, Batangas 5th district Rep. Marvey Mariño, Batangas City Mayor Beverley Dimacuha, Chronicles Ports president Josef Vincent Cochien and Wong Chu King (WCK) co-managing directors Caesar Angelo Wongchuking and Christopher King Chua, who also heads WCK subsidiary Nordic Atlantic.
The president said the SIDC project serves as a model for other cooperatives nationwide, aiming to secure incomes for Calabarzon farmers and lower food costs for consumers.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the grain terminal would be a central hub for yellow corn, used primarily in animal feed production. The project is expected to increase national corn production, reducing input costs for hog and poultry farmers, and benefiting corn producers.
The DA said the terminal would consolidate corn supply, reducing animal feed costs and lowering poultry and livestock prices in the region.
The SIDC project is the anchor tenant for Chronicles Port Inc.’s new P800 million cargo port in Simlong, Batangas City.
Cochien said the port is seeking locators in cement, sand, steel, construction materials, aggregates, and other grains. The port is designed for breakbulk or general cargo.
The Simlong port covers 914,959 square meters for anchorage off-loading, accepting commodities from vessels, including dry goods. It has a maximum discharging capacity of 5,000 metric tons per day for landing craft tanks (LCT)-type vessels.
The port offers arrastre and stevedoring services, cargo surveying, and third-party logistics, including warehousing, trucking, port services, shipping, bunkering, and manpower solutions.
WCK subsidiary Nordic Atlantic Logistics Group, a coalition of logistics companies, provides logistics, cold storage and warehousing services. It operates a cold storage facility and offers blast freezing in Malolos, Bulacan. WCK is also involved in the poultry business.