Effective logistics development is one of the strategies that is seen to greatly facilitate trade and connectivity; contribute to the lowering cost and clearance time of imports and exports; and ensure the smooth flow of commodities. Once perceived to be stable and reliable, it would encourage market expansion and improvement of the investors’ confidence in transporting goods and services.
Relative to this, the DTI Regional Office No. 02 and the DTI Competitiveness Bureau (DTI CB) embarked on a dialogue with private stakeholders entitled “Supply Chain and Logistics Management Forum” and “Freight Assessment Survey” on October 18 – 19, 2017 to raise awareness and get the support of the stakeholders in taking a proactive role on this initiative.
The Supply Chain and Logistics Management Forum aimed to present the results of the Logistics Efficiency Indicators (LEI) Project which is one of the initiatives of the DTI CB in cooperation with International Finance Corporation World Bank (IFC – WB). During the forum, best practices on effective logistics managements were presented by Mr. Miguel B. Decena, Jr. of M.B. Decena, Jr. Livestock and Director Samuel C. Bautista of the Academy of Developmental Logistics. DTI CB, DTI Export Development Council, and Clean Air Asia also presented their advocacies that are relevant to the logistics industry.
Meanwhile, the Freight Assessment Survey on Trucking (FAST Co.) Companies sought to determine and evaluate the profile of the vehicle fleet and operational characteristics of private companies in Region 02 and determine the factors that are perceived to be important when shifting towards greener and more fuel efficient freight transport practices.
In a message, OIC RD Ruben B. Diciano emphasized that logistics is the life of businesses. He noted that “it is like the circulatory system of a human body, as it provides interlink between and among the important players in the supply chain”. He further stressed that DTI R02 is serious in advancing logistics development as the agency believes that efficient logistics management is a basic need of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and of the priority industries that the agency are promoting.♦