THE PortCalls-organized Cargo Economics Conference last week was attended by about 150 top managers from the transportation sector.
Conference speakers detailed key transport industry trends and provided hard-to-source statistics during the whole-day event.
The track on the global economy (speaker: Asian Development Bank lead economist Dr. Ernesto Pernia) and the local economy (National Economic and Development Authority assistant director for National Planning and Policy Staff Scholastica Cororaton) generated the most number of questions.Other conference speakers were Dr. Hussein Lidasan, transport expert from the University of the Philippines (topic: The Philippine transportation sector); Edgar Milla, regional sales director for global shipping line APL (key trends in international container shipping); Atty. Agaton Teodoro O. Uvero, partner in The Law Firm of David Leabres Uvero Gaticales Sto. Tomas and PortCalls columnist (World Trade: The Changing Landscape); Charles Brewer, DHL Express country manager (prospects for international air cargo); Angelito Colona, ASEAN Federation of Freight Forwarder Associations president (the future of logistics in the Philippines); Sean Perez, Asian Terminals, Inc. (ATI) vice president for marketing and commercial (terminal operations); Atty. Romeo Sto. Tomas, Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association director or PISFA (seafreight forwarding); Eduardo de Guzman II, Aircargo Forwarders of the Phils. Inc. president or AFPI (airfreight forwarding); Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) deputy executive director Atty. Carmelo Arcilla (CAB directions for 2004); and Philippine Ports Authority Port District Manager-Port District Office Manila Leopoldo Bungubung (investment opportunities in ports.)
A panel of private and public sector cargo industry experts fielded questions to the speakers after their presentation.
The panelists were PortCalls columnist Leo Morada, an expert on information technology and its application to transport and the ports; Francis Lopez, managing director of InterCommerce Network Services; Erich Lingad, president of the Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association and president of International Consolidated Phils. Inc.; Modesto Ramos, senior vice president of Hanjin Shipping; Virgilio Angeles, general manager of COSCO Phils.,; Cecille Reyes, Transport and Communications assistant secretary; Mario Pangan, president of the Global Cargo Carriers, Inc.,; Herman Tuguigui, acting manager of the Port Marketing Division, Philippine Ports Authority; Atty. Oscar Brillo, former Customs deputy commissioner; Atty. Francis Egenias, president of the Maritime Law Association; and Col. Leonardo Odo–o, executive director of the Philippine Liner Shipping Association.
The conference was sponsored by ATI, International Container Terminal Services, Inc., Pilipinas Shell, WG&A Philippines, Air 21, DHL Express Phils., Negros Navigation, and Smart Communications, and endorsed by the AFPI, Association of International Shipping Lines, Global Cargo Carriers, Inc., and PISFA.
