PortCalls

Politics and the yuletide (December 8, 2003)
By BENNY C. ANUNCIACION, Director-Treasurer

AS talk of politics and the 2004 presidential elections rages, the Philippine peso continues its slide, resulting in dire consequen-ces for our beloved country. Still life goes on, and now the most awaited and joyous season of the year is near. Everyone is busy scheduling Christmas parties and all sorts of merrymaking.

Yes, it is Christmas once again and, like most people, I believe this season is the best time to share and give a little of what we have. And share we must with the association - share our positive attitude and sincere desire to achieve the goals and objectives of PISFA. Only these will help steer the association to success in its primary aim of professionalizing the freight forwarding industry.

I have been a PISFA member for more than 10 years now but it was only two months ago when I was chosen to be a Director. While my company has always been in good standing, I used to just send my representative to attend membership meetings; I would seldom be seen in such gatherings.

But now as a director and treasurer at that, I realize that being an officer in an association means hard work. There are the board meetings, conferences and numerous fora to attend. Dedication to the work is also absolutely necessary.

While directors have our respective corporate duties to attend to, we are duty bound to perform our functions as officers of PISFA whenever and wherever we are called. As a two-month-old director, I am harboring the positive attitude and sincere desire to work for PISFA.

In order to achieve PISFA's objective of professionalizing the freight forwarding industry, we need to always keep our eye on the goal and foster unity in all our undertakings. But above all, we need to put God in our hearts and always pray for lasting peace, harmony and prosperity.

Advance yuletide cheers and here's to a fruitful PISFA in 2004!

A message of abundance and optimism this Christmas (December 2, 2003)
By ERICH LINGAD, President

Two main ideas I'd like to focus on this holiday season.

First is the concept of abundance. The idea that there is and will be more than enough for everyone. Since our blessings continue to flow, we can wholeheartedly share with others... with our employees, customers, friends and partners. It is not out of a sense of obligation that we give, but the simple joy in giving. And giving does not only pertain to material objects, but more importantly, giving our time and effort for the good of all.

And so I would once again want to encourage everyone to contribute to our organization in whatever way they can, not only this season but all year-round.

The second message I would like to advocate is optimism. It is easy to fall into the trap of fear - fear of the worst-case scenario, politically (i.e., FPJ winning the presidency), economically, some are even considering migrating given these possibilities. But we should remember they are just that....possibilities, not yet realities.

The key is to realize that there is also a more favorable possibility...why not focus on this instead? Why not focus on the positive rather than negative possibility? The same goes with our general experience...maybe our growth in profit was not as great as last year...but hey, at least there was profit!

Let us trust that all is and will be well. And you know what, even in the worse case scenario politically, lets be confident that the private sector has attained a certain level of achievement and sustainability that can no longer be undone.

Let's move forward (November 2, 2003)
By NELSON M. MENDOZA, VP-Internal Affairs

With the nation busy over Senate inquiries on government scandals, and the election fever mounting even when it should take a backseat to the Christmas hustle and bustle, and when show business spectacles continue to sidetrack everyone from what is essential É we issue an urgent call to MOVE FORWARD and let news on to the new breed of PISFA officers take precedence.

There is a lot of work to be done and done immediately. All PISFA members should realize that your elected officers are working very hard to put things in order. But just like any other organization/ association, only a joint effort between the officers and members will spell the difference in all our plans and activities. This effort, as a matter of fact, should extend to our clients and other industry association.

It is only through cooperation that positive results will be achieved in the plans and objectives laid down during our planning session.

A classic sample of continuous support and cooperation for our association is paying the monthly dues on time. . . this is something we must all do diligently. . . its importance is clear - the dues fund all our activities, among others.

I urge everyone to do his share to make PISFA's dreams and aspirations a reality. It may not be a very big share but whatever effort is put in is most welcome.

When we do this, the blessings of the coming Yuletide season is not limited to the month of December but is felt all year round. I am confident we can all do it!

Buckling down to work (November 1, 2003)

Being a PISFA Director wreaks havoc on one's social calendar. Just last Tuesday, the Board had its first monthly working meeting since October 13 when it had to choose the two new Directors to fill in vacancies created by the resignations of Mr. Chito David and Ms. Pinky Paner.

The meeting was scheduled at 8:30 in the morning, and just a little after that, the opening prayer was made followed by the reading of the minutes of the previous meeting. Minor corrections were discussed, noted and approved.

With the changes in the Board and the Association's officers, the chairmanships of the various committees had to be realigned.

The Finance Committee is chaired by the Treasurer, Benny Anunciacion, with the added assignment of screening solicitation requests. Tariff and related matters is chaired by the Executive Vice President, yours truly, with Membership being headed by the Vice President for Internal Affairs, Nelson Mendoza, with an ad hoc function of representing PISFA in the National Port Advisory Council or NPAC. Ways and Means is under the Vice President for External Affairs, Alice Mayo, while Sports is managed by Tom de Vera, who is the Association's Auditor.

Training and Education is directly headed by the President, Erich Lingad, who will likewise represent PISFA in the Transportation and Logistics Institute in the partnership between FEDFAP and the Center for Continuing Education of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

A new position and committee was placed under Job Adriano, which is PRO (Press Relations Officer) and Communication and Information Technology, primarily tasked with the duty of maximizing the use of the new technologies in the way PISFA does its business and serves its members as well as injecting awareness and excitement in the Association's website. Already the group sees new interactive and upgraded features in the website like 'for members only' section, links to each of the members' individual web addresses, news, features, updates, forums, and many other things. Watch out, Yahoo and Hotmail. We might just have the new default home page on the horizon.

With breakfast being barely over (of course the ladies chose fruits and juices over the gentlemen's selection of Filipino or Japanese combinations), lunch was initiated (that word again; seems quite popular these days) around 11:30 with representatives from the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) as guests.

Soon after, over coffee, ICTSI made their presentation for their planned Dangerous Goods Area within the MICP. The project is audacious, involving the construction of a container yard, as well as close and open warehouse, all for the handling of dangerous goods, and fire protection facilities to boot. As presented, the new procedure will entail the direct unloading from the vessel into the DG area, with the port operator ICTSI being responsible for the cargo during all times from discharge until the withdrawal by the consignee, broker or freight forwarder. To put icing on the cake, the costs computations by ICTSI indicate a substantial savings for all concerned as compared with existing tariffs. We can hardly wait!

The meeting ended around 2 p.m., with the announcement of more Association-related activities for the month, such as the PortCalls website launching on November 6, Freight Logistics Summit on the same day at the Dusit Hotel with Erich Lingad as one of the speakers, the follow-up meeting on container security/hijacking at PEZA on November 7, the PCCI/PUC Seminar on 'Preventing Entry/Exit of Counterfeits Thru Stronger Border Controls' (INVITING ALL PISFA MEMBERS!) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on November 12, the Bureau of Plant Industry seminar at their conference room located in San Andres St. on the Australian Fumigation and Accreditation Scheme on November 17 from 2 to 5 p.m., the PUC Regular Board Meeting at the Century Park Hotel on November 20, the UN-ESCAP Regional Forum of Freight Forwarders, back-to-back with the ICC/ESCAP Regional Conference on Transport Facilities in Bangkok, Thailand on November 27 and 28, to be attended by our current FEDFAP Chairman and past PISFA President, Lito Colona, upon invitation by the UN-ESCAP to be one of the speakers. Lastly, there will be the General Membership Meeting on November 27 at the Heritage Hotel Ballroom at 6 p.m.

Whew! As I said, with all those activities in one's calendar, and the expected assortment of business meetings and sales presentations, no time, or at best, little time, is left for socials. And if you add up all the calories present in those activities, perhaps, a medical check-up is likewise necessary. And there goes the little time left for socials.

Welcoming a new breed of leadership (October 27, 2003)
By Alice S. Mayo, Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association Vice-President, External Affairs

With barely a few months from the oath taking of the new PISFA directors, the board was in a manner od speaking was facing a crisis.

After recouping from the resignation of Ms. Pinky Paner as one of the directors, the Board was stunned when Mr. Chito David bade farewell to the Presidency of PISFA. Mr. David had been one of the pillars of the Boards in the past and the newly installed directors looked up to his integrity and commitment to the industry.

Mr. David had to resign his position due to his promotion to the Board of directors in his company, ASPAC International and was named the President of the newly formed Alpha Systems Technologies, Inc., ASPAC Group's IT project company. Nonetheless, Mr. David promised his full support for the Association and its projects as the need arises.

Meanwhile, the remaining directors had to reorganize and elect a new president. In the emergency meeting held last October 13th, Mr. Erich Lingad, the youngest member of the board was unanimously elected as the new PISFA president. It is significant to recall that Erich garnered the highest number of votes among the directors in the 2003 elections of the new PISFA board.

Personally, I would like to assure the members of PISFA of Mr. Lingad's leadership potentials. I have seen him work as a member of my membership committeee during my 1st term as the vice president for internal affairs. Although I am saddened by Mr. David's resignation, I consider it as a breakthrough for a new breed of leadership personified by Mr. Lingad's dynamism in accepting his election to the presidency of PISFA.

Young, energetic and full of new ideas -- these qualities combined with the experiences of the other seasoned members of the board, have not only enabled PISFA to rise above a virtual leadership crisis and emerged stronger and more committed to its aspirations. The new president has committed that the plans and programs of PISFA will remain intact and on tract. He will also pursue with vigor and determination the directions agreed upon in the Planning Session held last August 7, 2003.

Just like the president, the remaining and new board members are just as dedicated to PISFA. Directors who are already on their second term (third term for Ms. Irene Manguiat) are still giving their unselfish service for the cause of the freight forwarders. Their support to Mr. Lingad shows their humility and open mindedness in welcoming the leadership of a new but committed member.

The schedule of activities for the month of October further showed to the members that the PISFA programs are already in full steam. Aside from organizing the Fore!!!Warders golf tournament on Octiber 29th, Mr. Lingad named as a panelist in the PortCalls Cargo Economic Conference on October 23rd while Atty. Sto. Tomas was the PISFA speaker in the same conference, Ms. Irene Manguiat, together with Messrs. Tom De Vera and Nelson Mendoza attended the said conference.

PISFA General Membership Meeting at the Heritage Hotel last October 23 went as planned. Almost simultaneously, your struly represented PISFA in the October 23 Port users Confederation regular board meeting at the nearby Traders Hotel.

It also shows that democracy is very much alive in PISFA as every member who is equally committed has an even chance of being selected to the highest position of the association. As mentioned in Mr. Lingad's September 29 column in PortCalls "...some members claimed erroneously that you have to be part of the 'inner circle' before you get elected as a director..." I believe this is totally baseless as the Board encourages the active participation of all members. Members who sincerely want to serve PISFA will have the opportunity to be nominated and be voted upon by fellow members.

As some men are born leaders and others honed to become one, I believe Mr. Lingad is destined to lead PISFA to its mandated role in untiting and protecting the interest of the freight forwarders.

We would like also to thank the past presidents of PISFA, Lito Colona and Bay Coching who took time to join us in the Emergency Board meeting and giving us their unwavering support and commitment to the association. The same is given to the members of the association who helped us welcome Erich Lingad as the new president during the General membership Meeting last October 23. Cheers! Mabuhay and PISFA!

It's not All Glitter and Gold at the Board of PISFA (September 29, 2003)
By ERICH LINGAD, PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL SEAFREIGHT FORWARDERS ASSOCIATION Vice President (Internal Affairs)

Several years ago, when I was a newcomer to the freight forwarding industry, I thought that directors of associations such as PISFA had a glamorous job - that they would jet set to other countries to attend various conferences, play the witty host at the monthly general assemblies at luxurious hotels, wine and dine and rub elbows with government officials, and spend afternoons at the golf course with other PISFA members.

Now that I am a director of PISFA, I have found that the golf part is perhaps the only activity closest to actuality. As for the glamor, suffice it to say that things can look pretty different from the inside.

Contrary to popular belief, being a director of PISFA is more hard work than just fun and parties. The Board of Directors meet once a month, the committees also once a month, or even more often. Then there are the Government and private sector activities related to forwarding/shipping to attend, and the nitty gritty work for projects that require working out. All these take time, time that could have been spent working for our respective companies (or playing golf?).

I also used to think that Directors receive a lot of freebies due to their position. But the only freebie we've gotten so far is the business card with PISFA's logo on it. PISFA Directors don't get the usual stipend for attending Board Meetings. In fact, Directors even usually have to shell out personal funds to provide food and drinks at meetings. And they have to shoulder major amounts during trips as well, as only about half of the airfare and accommodation costs for international forwarding conferences are paid for by PISFA.

So you wonder: What's in it for them? Basically, these fellows just want to protect the interest of freight forwarders and they believe in strength in numbers. That is the driving force that has led them to unite in the first place. PISFA has continually been striving towards the professionalization and improvement of the industry. For instance, they continue to press for more stringent rules for new entrants to avoid 'fly by night' operations.

Recently, FEDFAP forged an agreement with the Ateneo University for the creation of the Institute for Logistics and Transportation. Right now, PISFA is working towards re-classifying freight forwarding to fall under the supervision of the Department of Transportation and Communications instead of the Department of Trade, which it believes will benefit forwarders. PISFA is also engaged, together with AFPI, in putting up an online network that will allow members to deal with Customs and other government agencies electronically.

Given that PISFA is already on the right track and gaining steam, the question is why re-invent the wheel? In other words, why create something that's already there. I'm asking this because I have heard there are plans to form another seafreight forwarding association.

Of course people have the freedom to do as they wish. But remember that PISFA is already the recognized seafreight forwarding association both locally and globally, having been established almost 20 years ago (in March 1984). Why create another association that will duplicate the efforts of an already established organization? A key value of PISFA is unity, unity among forwarders even if they may be direct competitors. Another 'competing' association may only foster separation instead of harmony among forwarders.

Some may claim that you should be part of 'the inner circle' before you get elected as a director. I can attest that this is not so. In fact, anyone can voice out their concerns, suggestions, views and issues, even if they do not sit on the current Board. We are very open to the thoughts of others. In fact, we want to encourage more active participation from members.

Great efforts are being done to provide more efficient information flow among members. We use email and newsletters, and will eventually have a website to disseminate updates to all. Moreover, activities such as sports events are continually held to promote camaraderie. It is PISFA's desire to serve as a forum for the settlement any inter-company disputes.

So yes, there may be no glitter or gold for us Directors. Our hard work goes to serve the general membership; that is reward enough for us. We would like to encourage those who are not yet PISFA members to join us. If you have concerns, let us hear your views. This is the time when we should all work together, communicate with one another, and strive towards our common goals.