Logistics firm seeks more RoRo ports amid San Juanico Bridge woes

A major player in the country’s supply chain sector is calling on the government to open more Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) ports, as the ongoing rehabilitation of the iconic San Juanico Bridge has severely disrupted deliveries of essential goods to Samar and Leyte.

FAST Logistics Group CEO Manuel L. Onrejas Jr. revealed Wednesday that delivery delays in the region have persisted for over a month, causing significant backlogs and rising operational costs.

“(In fact), we have around two to three weeks pending for deliveries in our Tacloban branch, but we are trying to deplete all of these pending deliveries. We will complete those two to three days from now. From that perspective, we can now regularize our deliveries from Tacloban to Samar,” he said.

Due to the temporary ban on trucks over three tons from crossing the bridge, FAST has had to break bulk shipments and use smaller L300 vans imported from Manila. This workaround, Onrejas said, has drastically increased their operating costs.

“If the cost before is P1,000, then it will be P2,000 right now. Imagine 1,700 ten-wheeler trucks going back and forth on the San Juanico Bridge per day. So that is why the government should have a backup plan,” said Onrejas.

“We take care of the costs first, then we will negotiate with our principal. The cost usually doubled, even tripled. Because if you break a wing van, then you will transfer the goods to L300 vans, that’s multi-handling, multi-touchpoints, and multi-trucks, so there are costs to it,” he added.

As the rehabilitation of the bridge would last up to two years, Onrejas said they can withstand the costs as long as their principal can endure it.

“If they cannot endure it anymore, then we have to go back to the government to ask for more opening of routes for RoRos. They have opened one and we are happy about it. But I hope the government should have a backup plan through RoRo ferries and also control the costs that will be charged to third parties like us and truckers. Rural ports must also be improved and the infrastructure around them,” he stressed.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque acknowledged the challenges, confirming that the Department of Trade and Industry has imposed a 60-day price freeze on goods in the affected regions.

“We already talked to logistics players and they signified that they will not increase any price in moving goods. I think they will not incur so many losses. Once you are in that business, it’s just a matter of tweaking or adjusting to certain situations,” Roque said.

Earlier, the Philippine Ports Authority released P400 million to expand the Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar. The port is expected to serve as an alternate transport route between Leyte and Samar.

With San Juanico Bridge rehabilitation expected to last two years, Onrejas said logistics providers could endure for now — but only if supported by practical government interventions.