MANILA &ndash; The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced the approval on Tuesday of the department&rsquo;s Three-year Food Logistics Action Agenda with the aim of revolutionizing the country&rsquo;s food distribution system, reducing transport and logistics costs, and ensuring food supply chain efficiency.
According to the DTI, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. approved the plan during a sectoral meeting in Malacanang attended by Secretaries Alfredo Pascual of DTI, Benjamin Abalos of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Ivan Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Frederick Go of the Office of Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs.
Also in attendance were Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Undersecretary Zeno Ronald Abenoja of the Department of Finance (DOF), Undersecretary Elmer Sarmiento of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and Director General Ernesto Perez of the Anti Red Tape Authority.&nbsp; 
The DTI added that the action plan&rsquo;s general objective is to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for Filipinos. The aim is also for consumers to get the right product at the right time. 
Aside from revolutionizing the food distribution system in the country, the agenda aims to reduce transport and logistics costs, increase investments in logistics infrastructure for transportation and storage, and to address other supply chain gaps.
The plan also seeks to strengthen enforcement measures against hoarding, smuggling, overstaying food imports and monitoring warehouses or cold storage facilities, as well as using information and communications technology to improve logistics performance.
On the part of DTI, Pascual said that the department has already outlined efforts to integrate food terminals into the logistics framework. This is done by upgrading existing food terminals and building additional food hubs in Metro Manila and other areas in the country.
&ldquo;By integrating food terminals, the supply chain from producers to consumers could be shortened, with standardized logistical processes and transportation system directed towards specific destinations,&rdquo; the DTI said.
According to Pascual, the DTI has a pilot project with Nueva Vizcaya Agricultural Terminal (NVAT) together with the US Agency for International Development-Strengthening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (USAID-SPEED) to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) transition to mature e-commerce businesses.&nbsp; 
&ldquo;This project will help pivot NVAT from offline to online transactions thereby maximizing the potential of e-Commerce, and increasing market access for farmers&rsquo; produce,&rdquo; Pascual explained.&nbsp; 
The logistics action agenda, which is part of the President&rsquo;s vision to make the Philippines a logistics hub in Asia, has been developed in collaboration with the DA, DOTr, DPWH, DILG, DICT and other development partners.

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