DTI consultation gathers inputs for improved and cheaper logistics services in Visayas

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently conducted the last leg of the “supra-regional” consultations to create a roadmap to achieve a sustainable supply chain and efficient logistics services sector on September 8, 2022 at the District21 Hotel, Iloilo City.

“For the first time, we are conducting a DTI-initiated event that addresses one of the many issues that affect trade and commerce, that is, logistics. This is an opportune time for us to consult and share information and hopefully come up with doable solutions to identify problems on reducing logistics costs,” said DTI 6 Regional Director Rebecca M. Rascon during the opening program of the Supra Regional Consultations-Visayas Cluster.

Region 6, which is part of the Visayas Cluster, along with Regions 7 and 8, hosted the activity which was organized by DTI Region 6 and the DTI E-commerce Office and Supply Chain and Logistic Management Division headed by DTI Assistant Secretary Mary Jean Pacheco.

The purpose of the supra-regional consultations is to solicit input from the Visayas regions’ government and private sector to improve logistics efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and improve the agri-supply chain.

The regional consultation brought together key players involved in supply chain management, representatives from the private sector; freight forwarders; port operators; sea, land and water transport; suppliers; manufacturers; logistics and shipping companies; and enablers such as national government agencies and local government units.

Pacheco said logistics play an essential part in supply chain management. It is important to know the issues and concerns affecting efficiency in the flow of goods and devise a plan to address these issues.

To gather participants’ inputs and identify areas for collaboration, simultaneous workshops were held and facilitated by DTI Asec. Pacheco and Prof. Ronilo Balbieran, Project Team Lead for USAID DELIVER.

Four workshops were done to identify the following: priority commodities per region that the DTI will focus on identifying the transport and logistics costs; investment opportunities in the logistics services sector; logistics issues and concerns affecting the logistics services sector presented by DTI’s regional directors from Regions 6,7 and 8; and logistics infrastructure projects per region that should be prioritized.

DTI Asec. Pacheco said that the output of the consultation would be the basis for formulating interventions in the form of a policy to address the logistics issues discussed during the activity.