One way to make the Philippines a more competitive player in the supply chain management industry in Asia is to increase the country's competence as a logistics hub instead of remaining as a mere transshipment point for products from other countries.
"The supply management sector must help improve the country's capability as a strong logistics hub with value added as its contribution to the national campaign to enhance the country's competitiveness, "National Competitiveness Private Sector Co-Chair Ambassador Cesar B. Bautista, said this morning (Sept. 13) at the 17th annual conference of the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP).

"While supply chain management is growing at a fast rate, it can even do better if it will supply materials not only for Filipino consumers but also for those in other countries by putting value added on products processed locally. A product can be repackaged here and shipped overseas with the right kind of label," Bautista said.

Bautista also told the country's supply chain management practitioners that they must now look at competitiveness not as a short-term factor but as a meaningful and sustainable strategy that we can apply by improving human resources, access to financing, management practices, infrastructure, transaction costs flows and energy cost and sufficiency.

"Our individual industries may be competitive but unless the country itself develops a culture of competitiveness, our individual successes will not be meaningful," Bautista said.

Ambassador Cesar B. Bautista (extreme left), co-chair for the private sector of the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), graces the opening ceremonies of the 2007 Annual Logistics Conference and Exhibit of the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP). With him are Corazon C. Curay, SCMAP President, and Samie Lim, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This year's theme is "Customer Service Excellence: A Continuing Challenge in Supply Chain."