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DHL Supply Chain Philippines officially inaugurated its biggest logistics facility in the Philippines
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The Sta. Rosa Logistics Center covers 50,000-square meters and is part of DHL Supply Chain Southeast Asia Cluster’s €80M investment plan in the Philippines until 2025
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It features 30,000 square meters of warehousing and office spaces and has capacity for 33,000 pallet positions
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The facility implements “GoGreen” initiatives to cut carbon emissions
DHL Supply Chain Philippines (DSCP) officially inaugurated its biggest logistics facility in the Philippines, the Sta. Rosa Logistics Center.
The 50,000-square meter center in Laguna, DSCP’s first built-to-suit facility in the country, is strategically located near clients and manufacturing sites, DSCP country managing director Bevan Williams told PortCalls in an interview at the sidelines of the inauguration on July 18.
DHL Supply Chain South-East Asia chief executive officer Edwin Wong, during the same interview, said the investment is part of the company’s strategic plan for Southeast Asia in the next few years.
More specifically, the logistics center forms part of DHL Supply Chain’s €350-million expansion agenda that aims to increase warehouse capacity in Southeast Asia by 25%, or 400,000 sqm, from 2023 to 2028.
READ: DHL Supply Chain to invest €350M in SEA
It features 30,000 sqm of warehousing and office spaces and has capacity for 33,000 pallet positions for ambient, temperature-controlled, and dangerous goods storage, as well as a restricted area for high-value items.
Technology and automation such as automated guided vehicles, conveyors, and robotics are widely used, freeing personnel to accomplish “more fulfilling roles,” Williams said.
The center can service a maximum of 44 trucks at any given time, both inwards and outwards. The area has less traffic congestion than in DSCP’s previous hub in Parañaque, and is at proximity to South Luzon Expressway, optimizing truck egress and access.
There are two lounges for truckers and freight forwarders.
More than 200 CCTV cameras on 24/7 operation ensure security.
The facility already caters to four clients—a global direct seller of cosmetics and personal care products, a supplements company, high-speed internet service provider, and a Vietnam-based electric automotive company. It is expected to be full by September, Williams said.
DSCP’s former office in Parañaque has been transferred to the facility, making it more convenient for employees most of whom live in the south of Manila.
With the multi-use center, “we can do things a little bit more efficiently by having everyone on the same site,” Williams noted.
DSCP country head-business development Elisha Camus said potential expansion can be explored keeping in mind the country’s growing population and government’s continuous development in infrastructure in Visayas and Mindanao.
But even now, Williams said, another new DHL facility, also in Laguna, is “certainly on the cards”.
Green initiatives
The Sta. Rosa Logistics Center adopts DHL’s “GoGreen” initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. These include the use of solar panels, LED lights, harvesting of rainwater, and electronic vehicle (EV) charging stations that support EV investments of the DHL Group.
Wong noted going green has become a “business qualifier” with more customers expecting or requiring green or sustainable solutions.
Williams said GoGreen initiatives form part of future DHL facilities, which are subsequently part of the larger DHL Group’s commitment to zero emissions by 2050.
Currently, DSCP has two EVs in use at the logistics center, with more to be added based on demand, Williams said. He added the target is to have EVs charged by solar power, generated using panels on the facility, “all for the initiative to use pure Green energy.”
A digital billboard powered by solar panels, the first in the country, has also been installed to showcase sustainable co-branding efforts with customers/partners, upcoming marketing campaigns, and employee recognitions instilling the Great Place To Work culture. – Roumina Pablo
