MANDAUE CITY—The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (MCCI) hosted a Logistics Conference Thursday, September 12 at the
Waterworld Hotel in Mandaue City to provide a comprehensive understanding of its
dynamics focusing on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities that are
critical for staying competitive in this industry.
“The logistics conference was crafted after our
partnership with the Unified Truckers Assn, and the Chamber of Customs
Brokers. The logistics industry is more
of the backbone of our economy and basically the driver of our economic
activities, and also much of the biggest contributor of our inflation rate is
the congestion or the lack of an efficient logistics system that facilitates
trade in the Visayas and the entire country,” MCCI president, Mark Anthony Ynoc
said in a side interview with the Cebu media and content creators during the
event.
Ynoc said that in recent years, the many
changes in policies and labor laws have affected the logistics industry causing
significant risks. While some policies have facilitated growth by reducing the
trade barriers including the ease of doing business, others have added
complexities that cost more.
The future growth of logistics depends on
growth collaboration between industry and government and it is crucial that
policy makers recognize the role the logistics industry plays in driving the
national and regional economies, Ynoc said.
“This conference offers us the
opportunity to exchange ideas how we can overcome the challenges ahead, capitalize
emerging opportunities and engage more closely with the policy makers to be
sure that the logistics industry continues to be a pillar of economic growth,”
Ynoc added.
According to Ynoc, Mandaue
City is described as the industrial hub of Southern Philippines with so many
factories and manufacturing business corporations and these are the clients of
the logistics group. Although the city
is an industrial area, it’s moving faster to become a logistic hub and with
ecommerce at the forefront of it all, there is a need to establish this
foundation to help this industry.
Challenges,
issues that hamper the growth of the logistics industry
The logistics industry of Cebu
is actually growing and whatever challenges and issues it is facing much be
addressed the soonest, otherwise the industry will be left behind by the other
regions and this conference is more of a learning event.
The logistics industry is plague with
congestion and traffic of exports and imports due to shortage of manpower, rise
and fall of the gasoline prices and other fuel products, the changes in
policies, duties, fees and insurance have affected how competitive the industry
will remain in the market.
Israel Alin, President of the Visayas Unified
Trucker Assn., Inc (VUTAI) said that this conference is very important to them
and its stakeholders, especially that the organization represents the Visayas
Truckers Assn. whose members are mostly composed of truck haulers, local and
international haulers.
“It is very important to us
because this is the right place and avenue for us to learn more and to have
linkages plus hearing the new policies set by our government related to the
logistics sector. It is very important for us to know and be updated at the
same time, we can also suggest and ask questions relative the industry,” Alin
said in an interview with media/content creators.
Alin bared that the primary concern of the
logistics sector, especially in the Visayas region s the lack or shortage of
drivers who are equipped and qualified to drive heavy equipment and huge
vehicles dahil mas marami kaming trucks versus the availability of matitinong drivers.
“We lack drivers and we have difficulty finding
them and to cope with the demand of the industry’s stakeholders. We also have
difficulty to hire new drivers because there is no training facility here in
the Visayas. There many unserved clients in this industry,” Alin revealed.
Alin said, the organization is currently
working with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), TESDA and even the
organization is moving to have its own training facility for it to be
accredited by TESDA and LTO to ensure and provide better and quality drivers to
balance the demands and needs of the industry to provide better and quality
drivers.
Alin bared that the main concern of the logistics
sector is especially in the Visayas include the shortage of human resource,
especially skilled truck drivers; rules and policies from various local
government units where some towns have policies that are not applicable in
other areas.
LGUS with different policies induce additional
expenses from the logistics groups, somehow affecting the pricing of
commodities throughout the region and that costs are added to the consumers.
“As the logistics service provider our
stakeholders, exporters and importers are dependent on the prevailing prices
for example on the freighting and shipping of goods, sometimes, mas mahal ang
local freights versus the international freights, which will result in more
expensive commodities. These are some of
the pressing issues that must be talked about in the logistics,” Alin said.
Ynoc explained that the conference aims to
provide a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic logistics industry
focusing on emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities that are critical
for staying competitive. “We invited experts in various fields to share
valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance operational efficiency
and provide new perspectives in the logistics industry,” he concluded. (Photos: MBCNewman)