LAST year saw flat growth in the domestic shipping industry. This year, the business seems headed in the same direction.
For the industry to prosper,Philippine Interisland Shipping Association (PISA) vice president for Liners Josephine Uranza said production issues must first be resolved, and port infrastructure
improved. As a result, recovery of the domestic shipping may not be realized this year or even in the next three years.
In the meantime, shippers must continue to look for more innovative and efficient ways of transporting goods. The growth of the domestic shipping industry depends on the growth of the country’s production, said Uranza. “If there is no movement in production, the domestic shipping business will likewise remain stagnant,” she noted. To help increase production and lower the cost of doing business, PISA together with groups such as the Mindanao Business Council, actively participates in the Corn Board, the Swine Group, and the Vegetable Group. The participation of PISA in such groups reflect the priority given to food products, the bulk of cargo shipped by domestic operators.
With the Corn Board, the shipping association is lobbying for the shipping of corn in bulk rather than in the more expensive transport mode of containers. The shipping of swine as carcass is PISA’s main issue with the Swine Group. “It is unsanitary shipping them alive plus most shipping lines refuse to ship live weight because they are highly corrosive,” Uranza said.
Finally, PISA is one with the Vegetable Group’s main objective to reduce spoilage which eats up about 40% of total production.
