President Marcos said that the newly opened Maersk Optimus Distribution Center will bring the country's logistics system a step closer to becoming a "powerful force" that will bridge the country's islands, breathe life into different industries, and bring people together toward development.

Marcos said this as he led the grand opening of the P4.8-billion facility in Calamba, Laguna on Wednesday morning, Oct. 30.

In his speech, the President said the opening of the logistics center supports the government's vision of boosting import and export activities, particularly in Southern Luzon.

"The Maersk Optimus Distribution Center is poised to bolster import and export activities in Southern Luzon, especially in Bicol and Calabarzon," he said.

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

Marcos said the Philippines’ logistics sector has significantly improved in terms of global competitiveness and the new facility will further boost the country's performance. He cited the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index where the country ranked 43rd out of 139 economies, a substantial improvement from its 60th position in 2018.

"With the grand opening of the Maersk Optimus Distribution Center, our logistics system will be a step closer to becoming a powerful force—bridging our islands, breathing life into our industries, our businesses, bringing together our people on a path towards sustained development," he said.

The project is also seen to benefit many Filipinos by creating employment for 1,000 people in its surrounding communities in the coming years. It is likewise expected to create 1,000 indirect jobs for vendors, service providers, truckers, and more.

Green initiatives

Meanwhile, President Marcos lauded Maersk Philippines and Solid Group Inc. for embracing environmentally sustainable practices that support the government’s initiatives to make the Philippines cleaner and greener.  

"From utilizing solar power to reduce its grid consumption by 30 percent to deploying electric vehicles for last-mile services, it is committed to earning a Gold Certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design," he noted.

"Environmental stewardship is a cornerstone of this administration’s agenda, and it is heartening to see the private sector partners echoing this commitment," he said.

Before concluding his speech, the President urged Maersk and Solid Group Inc. "to build more agile and flexible end-to-end supply chains" that strengthen the foundation of a more competitive industry for all.

Fitted with state-of-the-art technology to serve as a fulfillment center catering to the Calabarzon Region and nearby areas, the Maersk Optimus Distribution Center will support import and export activities due to its proximity to the Batangas port.

The facility features a 70,000 pallet position (PP) capacity racking system with cantilever; 3,281 square meters (sqm.) mezzanine area for value-added services such as bundling, repacking, and stickering; 73 docks to accommodate all truck sizes; 500 sqm. battery room that can charge 28 units of Reach Trucks at a single time; and a one-glance room for live monitoring of operations.

The distribution center likewise features a motion detection smart lighting system that can save up to 25,860 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month, uses lithium-ion material handling equipment (MHE) to run operations, and is equipped with a rainwater collection system that can store 1,250 cubic meters of rainwater.

Resilient local supply chain

President Marcos also emphasized the need for a more resilient local supply chain amid challenges disrupting business operations and food supply.

He underscored the importance of logistics centers in ensuring supply chain continuity, especially in the post-pandemic landscape.

"The lessons learned from the pandemic are that those supply chains have to be robust, and when such tragedy such as the pandemic hits us, that we still have the capability to move people and goods around," he said.

Marcos believes the Maersk facility is an essential node in the supply chain.

"Everything that we receive in our homes, all the deliveries that we receive in our businesses have to go through a facility like this so that – they are organized as you can see – the goods that need to be moved on to their final destination," he said.