The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) strengthened support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as 11 more logistics and related firms joined its Supply Chain and Logistics Center (SCLC) Network.

Speaking during the ceremonial signing for the onboarding of the additional stakeholders on Wednesday, DTI Secretary Cristina Roque underscored the vital role of logistics in business operations, especially in an archipelagic country, and in speeding up aid delivery during calamities.

She also cited the country’s growing e-commerce sector, now the fourth largest in Southeast Asia.

“We are already almost 120 million Filipinos so the market is so huge. There’s so much product that need to be moved. So, again, we need to really strengthen the supply chain and logistics,” she said.

“The President has been very clear — to revitalize our economy, we must modernize our infrastructure and transform the way we move our goods and people and the ideas, again from point A to point B. At the Department of Trade and Industry, we share those dreams.”

Launched in June 2025, the SCLC Network now includes over 100 transport, storage and delivery firms addressing MSMEs’ logistics needs.

During the same event, the DTI also named 33 industry representatives as specialists under the Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG) to provide free guidance to MSMEs on operations, distribution and scalability.

Among them are FAST Logistics Group officials, namely chief executive officer for Logistics Manuel Onrejas Jr., Vice President for Strategic Growth Initiatives Gladys Ceniza, and Business Unit Head for Cold Chain Solutions Marc Anthony Dizon.

“As disruptions, cost pressures, and service expectations continue to rise, businesses need supply chains that are not just efficient, but resilient and adaptable,” Onrejas said.

“The DTI Supply Chain and Logistics Guild is a timely platform where industry practitioners can share what works on the ground and help MSMEs build the capabilities they need to become more competitive.”

Ceniza, for her part, said “logistics is an economic multiplier.”

“When goods move more efficiently, businesses grow faster, create more jobs, and compete more effectively. Through the DTI Supply Chain and Logistics Guild, public-private collaboration enables MSMEs to access these advantages and compete on a more level playing field.” (PNA)