Daven Tamayo

Visayas shipping resilient amid fuel hikes, but ports may become bottleneck

Article (news)

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

<div><strong>Passenger traffic, tourism and cargo volumes continue rising despite higher fuel costs as shipping executive warns infrastructure is struggling to keep pace</strong></div><p>MANILA — Rising fuel prices and global economic uncertainties have failed to slow the movement of people and goods across the Visayas, but a shipping industry executive is warning that aging and underdeveloped port infrastructure could eventually become a major obstacle to growth.</p><p>Kyle Alexander Aznar, president and chief executive officer of Aznar Shipping Corporation, said demand for cargo transport has remained resilient despite fuel costs remaining one of the industry&#x27;s biggest expenses.</p><p>&quot;Despite the fuel crisis and everything, we were even thinking that demand or volume would go down. But based on our numbers, no, that&#x27;s not happening,&quot; Aznar told Ron Cruz during ANC&#x27;s Business Outlook on Wednesday.</p><p>The trend comes as Central Visayas continues to record strong travel and transport activity.</p><p>Regional data show passenger traffic reached 19.645 million in 2025, while tourist arrivals rose 8.57 percent to 2.55 million from 2.35 million in 2024. Roll-on/roll-off vehicle traffic also increased 2.5 percent to 462,000 units, reflecting sustained demand for inter-island mobility despite economic headwinds.</p><p>For shipping operators, much of that demand is driven by the movement of essential goods.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;re transporting fuel. We&#x27;re transporting agricultural products. We&#x27;re transporting cement,&quot; Aznar said.</p><p>&quot;These are goods that you can&#x27;t really make do without, crisis or not. People will need it.&quot;</p><p>Aznar said the company&#x27;s own performance reflects the continued strength of regional demand.</p><p>&quot;Our quarter one of 2026 was better than our quarter one of 2025 by a large margin,&quot; he said.</p><p>The company currently operates 10 vessels serving routes across Cebu, Leyte and Negros and plans to add three more vessels over the next five years.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Ports falling behind</strong></div><p>While shipping operators continue investing in fleet expansion and modernization, Aznar said infrastructure development has not kept pace with growth in maritime activity.</p><p>&quot;What I see also is the growth of the maritime fleet, it has not kept pace with the development of the ports, especially in the feeder routes that we cater to,&quot; he said.</p><p>Many smaller ports throughout the Visayas, he added, remain constrained by limited capacity and insufficient development despite increasing trade and passenger traffic.</p><p>&quot;A lot of them have a lot of potential. It&#x27;s just that they haven&#x27;t really been developed to the full extent.&quot;</p><p>According to Aznar, upgrading port facilities and expanding navigational access could significantly improve efficiency across the shipping sector. </p><p>&quot;If the capacity was expanded, the depth was dredged, we could potentially deploy bigger vessels. We could potentially increase our frequency of trips,&quot; he said.</p><p>Without those improvements, he warned, infrastructure could eventually become a bottleneck to regional economic activity.</p><p>&quot;Some of the infrastructure in some areas hasn&#x27;t kept pace with the growth of the maritime industry.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Investing through uncertainty</strong></div><p>Fuel remains among the largest operating costs for shipping companies, particularly for operators serving short-haul, high-frequency routes across the Visayas.</p><p>Aznar said support from regulators and coordination with fuel suppliers have helped shipping operators navigate recent price volatility while maintaining services.</p><p>&quot;So far, we&#x27;ve been able to weather the crisis,&quot; he said.</p><p>Despite economic uncertainty, the company continues to invest in newer vessels.</p><p>One of its latest additions is the MV Alexander Aznar I, which now serves the Danao, Cebu-Isabel, Leyte route under a six-year route protection granted through MARINA&#x27;s modernization program. </p><p>The vessel also carries personal significance for the company&#x27;s chief executive.</p><p>&quot;My father passed away very suddenly,&quot; Aznar recalled.</p><p>&quot;I remember on his deathbed, I told him that particular ship was the kind of ship he always wanted. I promised him we&#x27;re going to get it.&quot;<br/>Four years later, he fulfilled that promise.</p><p>&quot;Luckily enough, four years after, I did get it. So that&#x27;s why I named it after him.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Outlook remains positive</strong></div><p>Despite fuel price pressures, weather risks and infrastructure constraints, Aznar remains optimistic about the future of inter-island shipping.</p><p>&quot;Seeing my own numbers, I can see it every day. I can see the numbers year on year ever since I started running the company four years ago, and it&#x27;s really been steadily increasing,&quot; he said.</p><p>For an archipelago where the movement of food, fuel, construction materials and people depends heavily on sea transport, the challenge ahead may no longer be demand.</p><p>The bigger question, industry players say, is whether port infrastructure can keep up with the region&#x27;s growing appetite for trade, tourism and connectivity.</p><p>Catch Kyle Aznar&#x27;s full interview exclusively on ANC&#x27;s Business Outlook.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KUWC_-NzI1I? TRANSCRIPT LINK:autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Rising fuel prices and global economic uncertainties have failed to slow the movement of people and goods across the Visayas, but a shipping industry executive is warning that aging and underdeveloped port infrastructure could eventually become a major obstacle to growth.</p>

Rising fuel prices and global economic uncertainties have failed to slow the movement of people and goods across the Visayas, but a shipping industry executive is warning that aging and underdeveloped port infrastructure could eventually become a major obstacle to growth.

Visayas shipping resilient amid fuel hikes, but ports may become growth bottleneck

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Business

Visayas shipping resilient amid fuel hikes, but ports may become growth bottleneck

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 19, 2026 12:40 PM PHT

Read More:

Visayas shipping

ports

infrastructure

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.