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Senator Risa Hontiveros called the logistics industry’s recurring delays a national economic concern and urged lasting solutions
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In a September 29 privilege speech, she pointed to port congestion and the long-running problem of empty container returns
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Hontiveros called for a clear plan, proper coordination, and solutions with set timelines
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She also urged including the logistics sector in the country’s industrial policy to help ease inflation and support economic growth
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Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said discussions can begin once the speech is referred to the appropriate committee
Senator Risa Hontiveros raised persistent delays and other issues faced by the logistics industry as a national economic concern, seeking solutions to address problems that she noted have happened before.
In a privilege speech on September 29, delivered mostly in Filipino, Hontiveros pointed to port congestion and the long-running problem of empty container returns, among other issues.
Hontiveros said that while the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) maintains that cargo is moving out of the ports without interruption, truckers report waiting one to three weeks to return empty containers to yards.
She explained that even after the cargo has been delivered to its owner, truckers cannot take on new jobs because the empty container is still loaded on their truck, waiting to be returned to the container yard.
“Sa industriya mismo, tinawag na itong (The industry calls the situation) ‘severe truck deadlock’ dahil sa limitadong lagakan ng mga container na walang laman (because of limited space for empty containers),” Hontiveros said. “It is not enough to say that operations are in order at the port if truckers are waiting for weeks,” she noted.
READ: Manila’s Cargo Crisis — When Sea and Air Feel the Squeeze
She added that some importers choose to leave their cargo at the terminals because paying port storage charges costs less than running their own warehouse.
She also cited a call by truckers and customs brokers, made at a September 23 public consultation, for a transport strike over worsening port congestion, delays in returning empty containers, and other concerns.
The strike, first set for September 28, was moved to October 5 to give the industry time to plan, adjust operations, and decide what to do with incoming shipments at Manila ports.
What’s at stake?
Hontiveros also cited a report by the Meat Importers and Traders Association, which said persistent congestion at Manila ports adds at least P50,000 per container, or about P2 to P5 per kilo, to costs. The group added that the prolonged congestion has led some meat importers to rethink or cut back their purchases.
Hontiveros noted that the logistics industry links farmers and fisherfolk to markets and factories, and to the families who rely on their products and services.
“It’s not just the prices of goods that are at stake here, but also jobs, incomes, and economic growth,” she said.
“Mr. President, this is why I am raising this issue as a matter of national economic concern: we have heard this story before,” Hontiveros said. She cited the 2014 Manila truck ban, which caused congestion at Manila ports and hurt not just truckers but also manufacturers, other businesses, and their workers.
In a 2015 discussion paper, “A System-wide Study of the Logistics Industry in the Greater Capital Region,” the Philippine Institute for Development Studies estimated that the seven-month truck ban imposed by the Manila City government cost the Philippine economy P43.85 billion.
More than a decade later, Hontiveros said, it is time to address the root causes of the crisis. “Clearly, this is not simply a logistics problem,” she said, adding that the issue is about the wider economy.
Industry-wide, lasting solutions
She added: “We cannot simply allow the logistics sector to be pushed towards a vicious cycle of stagflation in which slow economic growth and rising prices become irreversible conditions of the industry. Broader economic productivity declines when fuel, trucking, port and shipping costs rise while the movements of goods slow down. The impact is felt across all productive sectors – from food, manufacturing, construction, retail to agriculture.”
READ: Manila’s Cargo Crisis: What Needs to Happen
Hontiveros also said that government agencies, shipping lines, truckers, customs brokers, importers, and other industry players should not have to work on their own.
“What is needed is a clear plan, proper coordination, and solutions with clear timelines,” she said.
During the same session, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian raised concerns about the country’s trade imbalance, noting that the Philippines is a net importer.
Gatchalian said the Senate can begin discussions once Hontiveros’ privilege speech is referred to the appropriate committee.
“Maganda mapag-usapan na ho natin (It would be good to talk about this now),” he added.—Roumina Pablo
READ: BOC targets signing of JAO addressing port congestion within September
