OneStop Logistics, a member of Magsaysay Shipping & Logistics (MSL), is exploring the expansion of its warehouse and cross-dock facilities in Samar to capitalize on the growing market opportunities in Eastern Visayas.
Miguel N. Gutierrez, general manager of OneStop Logistics, said during the signing of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Pledge of Commitment for the Logistics and Supply Chain Center initiative that Samar and Leyte are among the country’s emerging markets.
Gutierrez told LogisticsNews.PH that the economies of Samar and Leyte are expanding, resulting in increasing volumes of goods, including consumer durables, being shipped to the two provinces.
“Volume is growing. Now, I think we have to study the business case of putting up a warehouse in Samar. We genuinely see potential there, so we’re exploring,” he said.
He added that the company still needs to determine the most suitable location for the facility while addressing security concerns in the province.
OneStop Logistics currently operates a warehouse in Tacloban City, Leyte, but the company sees the need to expand its capacity to better serve the Samar market. It also operates eight cross-dock facilities across the Visayas and Mindanao.
According to Gutierrez, plans to expand its warehousing operations in Samar were already being considered even before the partial closure of the San Juanico Bridge. He recalled the logistical challenges and the “around-the-world” routing that logistics providers had to undertake during the bridge’s temporary restrictions.
Despite the reopening of the San Juanico Bridge, which links Tacloban City in Leyte and the municipality of Santa Rita in Samar across the San Juanico Strait, Gutierrez said the planned warehouse expansion is still under consideration as Leyte and Samar now offer more business potential.
