President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that logistics in the country will soon become a “powerful force” guaranteeing economic growth for Southern Luzon and Metro Manila.

This came as he led the grand opening of the Maersk Optimus Distribution Center in Calamba, Laguna on Wednesday.

The newly-built structure is the largest distribution center in the Philippines, boasting a 76,000-pallet storage capacity with 100,000-square meter landmass.

In his speech, Marcos said the newly-opened logistics hub is expected to generate thousands of jobs for nearby communities as well as industry stakeholders.

“In the coming years, the Maersk Optimus Distribution Center is expected to create employment for one thousand people in its surrounding communities and indirect employment for another thousand individuals from vendors and service providers to truckers and beyond,” he said.

Marcos noted the importance of logistics in our daily lives, as the public “often overlook” the system behind it. 

“[It] quietly keeps the rhythm of our daily lives ensuring food on our tables, medicine for the sick, and packages at our doorsteps,” he said.

Marcos added that the seamless flow of logistics that “we have grown accustomed to” would simply break as observed when the pandemic struck the country a few years ago.

“We hear at this point, especially after the pandemic, a lot of talk about supply chains and robust supply chains. And these arise from the lessons that we have learned during the pandemic where supply chains were broken, and many of them no longer came back,” he further said.

Robust logistics system

With this, Marcos said that Covid-19 pandemic has revealed a weakness in logistics stressing the need for a robust system to move products around.

He recalled that in 2018 and 2019, the transportation and storage industry steadily grew until it was disrupted by the pandemic.

However, the industry has recovered within the last few years.

In the second quarter of 2024, Marcos said that the transport and storage sector posted a growth of 14.8 percent. 

In comparison, this number showed it is only second to the construction sector as the fastest growing industry in the Philippines.

Based on World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index, the Philippines’ rank improved, coming to the 43rd spot from 60 out of 139 countries.

“[This is a] great improvement from our previous place at 60th in 2018. Our gains in customs efficiency, infrastructure quality, [and] on-time deliveries made this rank improvement possible,” he said.

As the logistics hub will begin to operate fully, it will serve as the transport hub for southern Luzon. It features 75 docks equipped with a Fleet Operational Control Centre (FOCC), enabling the company to manage its transport fleet while maximizing operational efficiency.

According to Maersk, it will integrate major warehouse operational and co-packing activities to cater to key industries such as consumer goods, food and beverage, leisure and lifestyle, healthcare, technology, automotive and retail.

Marcos added the facility could also decongest Metro Manila and bolster import and export activities in Southern Luzon, especially in Bicol and CALABARZON.

“This strategic location in Calamba aligns with our efforts to decongest Manila and to unlock the economic potential in the countryside,” he said.

Sustainable practices

Leaders of the Maersk Logistics said the warehouse will be powered by solar power to reduce its grid consumption by 30 percent. It will also deploy electric vehicles for last-mile services.

Marcos said that “environmental stewardship” is a cornerstone of his administration's agenda.

“It is heartening to see the private sector partners echoing this commitment,” he said.

He added that it is imperative for both public and private sectors to adopt effective, responsive, and ecologically sound practices