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The Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc.’s new officers and Board of Directors for the term 2026-2028 have officially been inducted into office
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Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno led the induction on July 16 for the new officers and directors, led by Vicente Gregorio Sebastian as president
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Sebastian said his term will focus on three action items: intensify PMTLAI’s collaboration with government authorities and industry stakeholders to streamline regulatory and operational hurdles, emphasize the disciplined approach to operational excellence and regulatory compliance as a critical enabler of sustainable growth, and continue training and development programs that are relevant in the changing times
The Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc.’s (PMTLAI) recently-elected officers and Board of Directors for the term 2026-2028 have officially been inducted into office.
The new officers and directors, led by Vicente Gregorio Sebastian as president, took their oath before Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno on July 16.
Sebastian, previously the auditor and vice president for airfreight, will take the place of Erich Lingad.
The officers serving alongside Sebastian are the following:
- Emperatriz Regis – vice president for airfreight
- Don Aquias – vice president for seafreight
- Josefina Yap – vice president for land
- Irene Manguiat-Tan – vice president for government relations
The new term’s board members include Atty. Vicki Casin, Doris Torres, Eduardo de Guzman, Marissa Galbis, Dominic de Leon, Nestor Salvania, Ginno Edaño, Tony Camacho, and Arnold Cabawatan.
In a speech during the induction ceremony, Sebastian said he is “deeply honored by the trust and confidence” that members have placed upon him to serve as the new president of PMTLAI.
Action items
In line with the association’s vision to be the catalyst and prime mover for professional excellence and global competitiveness of the Philippine transport and logistics industry, Sebastian said his term will focus on three action items.
First is to intensify PMTLAI’s collaboration with government authorities and industry stakeholders to streamline regulatory and operational hurdles.
“I will continue and deepen the strong relationship forged by my predecessors with government agencies, port and warehouse operators, shipping lines, airlines, and partner associations,” Sebastian said, adding that “our strength lies in robust, constructive engagement across sectors that touch multimodal transport and logistics.”
READ: PMTLAI cheers BOC efforts on better governance, digitalization
With a background in finance, Sebastian his second action item is to “emphasize the disciplined approach to operational excellence and regulatory compliance, including tax compliance, as a critical enabler of sustainable growth.”
Sebastian said he is committed to expanding the leverage that PMTLAI’s partnership has with multidisciplinary professional services and accounting firm SGV, which has helped the freight forwarders association in the issuance in 2006 of two Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) circulars.
BIR Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 9-2006 clarifies the amount subject to value-added tax and expanded withholding tax (EWT) of brokers and others similarly situated and the other parties with whom they transact business, while RMC No. 35-2006 clarifies the proper VAT and EWT treatment of freight and incidental charges billed by freight forwarders in the Philippines.
Sebastian noted that 20 years have passed since these circulars were issued, and they would now like to review, amend, or issue new circulars on the freight forwarding business in relation to current tax laws, especially Republic Act No. 12066 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) Act.
Sebastian said PMTLAI will continue its training and development programs that are relevant in the changing times, enabling members to provide world-class service by offering robust channels of knowledge, learning, and sharing. He said PMTLAI will also renew its license to be able to provide trainings that will help members comply with the training requirements for their accreditation as sea freight forwarders with the Department of Trade and Industry.
Moreover, PMTLAI will be participating in the United Nations-led initiative on sustainable development goals (SGD), particularly in the aspect and the use of green logistics, infrastructure, and digital transformation, among others. In line with this, IT and value-added service provider InterCommerce Network Solutions, Inc. recently provided PMTLAI with an introduction of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Philippine logistics.
Sebastian said this “will be the beginning for our industry in exploring the use of AI.”
READ: PH air cargo industry needs a unified digital system
PMTLAI was established in 2017, following a merger of the Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association and Aircargo Forwarders of the Philippines, Inc., to unite and build a stronger organization to represent the freight forwarding and logistics industry.
