The Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP) looks set to finally establish a chapter in Mindanao by October this year in a bid to raise the Philippines’ supply chain competitiveness.
“We believe that to be truly able to move the global competitiveness of Philippine supply chain, we have to have a presence across the country,” SCMAP marketing and communications director Henrik Batallones told PortCalls in an email.
Currently, SCMAP has chapters in Visayas and Northern Luzon, and has over 200 members, both companies and individuals, including top manufacturers, retailers, and logistics providers.
Batallones said that by establishing chapters in Visayas and North Luzon, SCMAP has been able to move the supply chain in these areas by tackling issues unique to these regions while maintaining a view of the issues’ impact on the national picture.
“The same thinking also motivates our desire to establish a chapter in Mindanao,” he said.
Representatives of SCMAP were recently in Davao City to attend the PortCalls and Asia Customs & Trade-organized 3rd Mindanao Shipping Conference 2018 on August 3 and establish its latest chapter.
Asked why the group is only now setting up a chapter in Mindanao, Batallones replied: “If we had our way, we would have established this chapter sooner—we have several members based in Cagayan de Oro from a few years back, but we could not satisfy the conditions our by-laws require for the establishment of a new chapter.”
“But now that we have met with more stakeholders across the region—and with the renewed focus on Mindanao and its role in the national economy—the time is right to push towards the opening of SCMAP Mindanao,” he said.
SCMAP, Batallones said, will provide a venue for companies across Mindanao to hold discussions on and offer solutions to the supply chain issues affecting the region.
“But more importantly, it allows them to have a voice in the growing national discussion around the competitiveness not just of our supply chains, but also of our economy and our country as a whole,” Batallones said.
SCMAP executive director Norman Adriano, in a presentation during the 3rd Mindanao Shipping Conference 2018, said SCMAP will be able to assist Mindanao-based companies in addressing supply chain management and logistics issues. This, Adriano explained, is because SCMAP represents the industry in various industry fora and is consistently tapped by government agencies in meetings and projects involving supply chain and logistics.
SCMAP is the logistics adviser of the Department of Public Works and Highways and Department of Trade and Industry Convergence Program, which identifies road projects that will lead to manufacturing hubs and economic zones.
The trade organization is also working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority on a national certification for warehousing and logistics. It has also forged a partnership with GoNegosyo to bring supply chain education to micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs across the country through their Kapatid program.
SCMAP hopes to establish the new chapter by October, in time for its annual and biggest event, the Supply Chain Conference, which will happen during that month.
To get the ball rolling, SCMAP will hold its first convenors’ meeting on the proposed SCMAP Mindanao chapter on August 25 at Unit 140, 14F Landco Corporate Center, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City. The meeting is expected to be an informal discussion of logistics and supply chain issues in Mindanao, as well as an introduction of SCMAP. Interested parties may contact Dr. Malou Monteverde through (0920) 916-8162 or (082) 305-0407, or email the SCMAP Secretariat in Manila.
Batallones said SCMAP hopes to attract stakeholders across Mindanao’s economic ecosystem, including those in agriculture, manufacturing, retail, distribution, logistics service providers, and other stakeholders “interested in ensuring a competitive supply chain not just for Mindanao but for the whole country.” – Roumina Pablo
