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Airspeed is eyeing consolidation hubs for small and medium enterprises to help them expand their local and global reach
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Airspeed chairperson and president Rosemarie Rafael said they are working on consolidation hubs to make it cheaper for them to bring their products to other locations
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Rafael said they are strategizing where to put the hubs, considering where the markets and need for consolidation are
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Rafael said the aim is to help small enterprises to transition to medium enterprises, and then to go global, “because what we’d like to encourage is really cross-border trade”
End-to-end logistics solutions provider Airspeed is eyeing consolidation hubs for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to help them expand their markets local and globally.
“The SMEs, as we know, really comprise 99% of our economy, and there is really a need to help them and support them for them to be able to have access to the market and access to funds and access to shared services,” Airspeed chairperson and president Rosemarie Rafael told PortCalls in an interview on the sidelines of the recent ASEAN SME Forum 2026.
Rafael said “Airspeed is not only concerned about moving their freight, moving their cargo, but also concerned about the ecosystem that will continue to build up their capabilities and their visibility, not only to the local market, but also to the global market.”
Since SMEs’ shipments could be small in size and/or quantity, Rafael said they are working on consolidation hubs to make it cheaper for them to bring their products to other locations.
She said they are planning strategic locations for the hubs, taking into consideration where the markets and need for consolidation are.
One location already identified is within the province of Pangasinan, which is currently aggressively pushing for the growth of its SME sector.
Rafael said the aim is to help small enterprises transition to medium enterprises, and then go global, “because what we’d like to encourage is really cross-border trade.”
“Having it within the Philippines is very good, but we would like to be able to bring them out of the Philippines to other countries,” she added.
READ: Airspeed partners with Cambodia’s Bright Star
Aside from the consolidation hubs, Airspeed’s digital arm, Amazing Philippines Digital Economy Corp., leads the work on the group’s SME Program.
Launched in 2024, Airspeed’s SME Program supports local entrepreneurs by providing them access to various services, such as specialized international and domestic freight forwarding with exclusive rates and offers, tailored storage solutions, e-commerce fulfillment, pick-up and drop-off services, financial aid, marketing platforms, trade fair opportunities, and training.— Roumina Pablo
READ: Faster cargo clearance, MSME opportunities in 2 upgraded ASEAN trade pacts
