From Trade Gateways To Community Lifelines: Batangas Port Is The World's First ‘Ready Port' For Disaster Preparedness
From Trade Gateways To Community Lifelines: Batangas Port Is The World's First ‘Ready Port' For Disaster Preparedness
Senin, 15 Juni 2026 | 20:17
BATANGAS CITY, PHILIPPINES -
Media OutReach Newswire
- 15 June 2026 – Global trade enabler DP World today announced that its
Batangas Integrated Port (BIP) is now the world's first READY Port,
establishing a new benchmark for disaster preparedness and humanitarian
logistics.
READY Port (Resilience, Emergency Action, and Disaster-ready) is a
global capacity-strengthening programme advocated by the UN Logistics
Cluster, established to strengthen disaster readiness of ports to enable
humanitarian resiliency of countries during emergencies.
As climate-related disasters and supply chain disruptions increase
globally, the READY Port framework offers a scalable model for enhancing
the resilience of critical logistics infrastructure. The Philippines
was selected as the pilot location for the initiative due to its
exposure to climate-related risks and natural disasters. Bringing
together key public and private sector stakeholders, as well as local
and international humanitarian organisations, READY Port establishes a
coordinated and resilient emergency response ecosystem anchored on
seaports and logistics hubs.
The designation follows the completion of a three-day, multi-stakeholder
READY Port workshop in partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP)
Philippines at Batangas Port, where government agencies, humanitarian
organisations and private-sector partners assessed emergency response
capabilities, reviewed operational protocols and participated in
scenario-based exercises to strengthen crisis preparedness.
BIP is operated by DP World's local partner, Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI)
and serves as a critical gateway for the Philippines, offering
comprehensive capabilities for international and domestic cargoes,
rolling cargoes, passenger movements, and direct connectivity to nearby
islands and key destinations across the Visayas and Mindanao.
Insights from the workshop have been consolidated into a Port Readiness
Action Plan to help strengthen strategic frameworks for future
implementation of capacity-building initiatives across ports in the
Philippines and around the world.
Glen Hilton, CEO & Managing Director, Asia Pacific, DP World,
said: "We are honoured that the Batangas Integrated Port is now the
world's first READY port. This collaboration with WFP and our partners
reflects our shared commitment to building resilient port infrastructure
that serves not only as gateways for trade, but also as vital lifelines
for communities during times of crisis. By leveraging DP World's
integrated ports and logistics capabilities through ATI, our local
partner in the Philippines, and across our global network, we are
strengthening preparedness and ensuring that humanitarian assistance can
move swiftly and efficiently in support of disaster response, national
recovery efforts, and community resilience."
Manuel Cabochan III, Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns,
said: "Disaster preparedness is not only the responsibility of one
government agency alone. It requires a whole-of-government and
whole-of-society approach where national agencies, port operators,
logistics providers, humanitarian organizations, local government units,
and development partners work together towards a common goal. This
underscores the importance of READY Port as we come together to prepare
through planning, capacity building, and information sharing, and
ultimately develop strong mechanisms to ensure continuity of ports and
logistics operations during emergencies. We commend the World Food
Programme, DP World, and the Logistics Cluster for pioneering this
initiative."
Joao Dos Santos Merencio, World Food Programme Head of Supply Chain in the Philippines,
said: "WFP is committed to supporting this initiative by fostering
coordination, sharing humanitarian experience, and working closely with
all stakeholders to align port readiness efforts with national disaster
preparedness frameworks. The READY Port initiative brings together port
authorities, national government agencies, the private sector, and the
humanitarian community as one cohesive support unit. This framework
helps ensure that ports continue to operate effectively under crisis
conditions while prioritizing humanitarian cargoes when it matters
most."
Photo Caption: Batangas Integrated Port is now the world's first READY Port