This year’s Supply Chain Immersion saw a delegation of sixty from the country’s biggest manufacturing, retailing and logistics firms visit the emerging Central Luzon region, particularly the Clark and Subic free ports, to understand the opportunities presented to supply chain and business in general, and to see the growth and investment put in what is seen as the country’s next economic center.
The three-day event, held from 17-19 May, includes tours of important locators and facilities in the region, as well as Supply Chain Perspective, a half-day forum gathering top supply chain stakeholders.
Delegates assembled just outside the SCMAP offices in Pasig City on the morning of 17 May and headed to Clark, where they attended the forum at the Park Inn by Radisson Clark. There, they heard from DPWH undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral, Unilab’s Nestor Felicio, Victory Group’s Enrique Castillo and the REID Foundation’s Ronilo Balbieran, discussing how government investment in the region augurs well for the national economy, and how businesses and supply chain managers can take advantage of this growth through supply chain optimization and development.
The following day, it was a day-long tour of Clark and Subic’s important locators and facilities. After an early breakfast, the delegation split into two, with one group visiting the Yokohama Tires manufacturing facility, and another group visiting the Texas Instruments assembly facility, both in Clark. There they gained insight into why multinational companies chose to locate in the Philippines, and how they have leveraged available opportunities to become valuable parts of their respective global value chains.
The tour then proceeded to the Clark International Airport, which is mooted for expansion as it anticipates higher passenger and cargo traffic and poises itself to become a new gateway to the Philippines, particularly to those in northern and central Luzon. A side visit to the facilities of CargoHaus presented a primer in import and export procedures, and how they have become the leading cargo handling provider serving Clark over the years. Finally, after lunch, the tour headed to Subic to see the New Container Terminal operated by Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation, which has served the region particularly after port congestion issues rocked Manila in 2014.
The weekend also offered networking and fellowship opportunities for both delegates and regional stakeholders, with Supply Chain Perspective also attended by local businesses, government agencies and academe members. On the evening of 18 May, delegates also got a chance to show off their vocal prowess with a late night karaoke session, and some shopping the following morning, before returning to Manila in the afternoon.
We would like to thank the REID Foundation and the Center for International Private Enterprise for co-presenting Supply Chain Perspective; to OpenPort and American Technologies for supporting the event; and to Del Monte, Johnson & Johnson, Unilab and Agility Logistics for providing giveaways.