The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) is urging the government to fast-track investments in inter-island container logistics to relieve the growing supply chain bottlenecks made worse by the ongoing rehabilitation of the San Juanico Bridge.
PCAFI president Danilo Fausto said on Thursday that the reduced load capacity of the bridge, an essential link between Samar and Leyte, has intensified transport constraints across Samar and adjacent provinces. To address this, PCAFI is proposing the development of container and reefer barge terminals in underutilized island ports, beginning with a pilot project at the San Isidro Ferry Port in Northern Samar.
The ₱100-million proposal for the San Isidro port, under the Philippine Ports Authority, includes container handling equipment to support landing craft tanks (LCTs) and barges. The project aims to cut truck traffic at Matnog, Sorsogon and Amandayehan, Eastern Samat crossings by up to 200 vehicles daily, streamlining both inbound farm input deliveries and outbound shipments of seafood, bananas, and coconut products.
Fausto emphasized this logistical upgrade would reduce costs and improve market access for remote agricultural zones. The port’s proximity to Cebu and Iloilo also positions it as a strategic food transshipment hub.
Beyond Samar, PCAFI is pushing for similar terminals in Bohol, Southern Palawan, and Mindoro, requiring an estimated ₱300 million in public investment. These areas, comprising 18 percent of the national landmass, remain “logistically isolated,” according to Fausto, making infrastructure modernization essential for lowering food prices and enhancing supply chain resilience.
PCAFI is also calling for a policy shift in agri-finance, urging that management of the Agriculture Guarantee Fund Pool (AGFP) be transferred from the Department of Finance to the Department of Agriculture. The group argues this move would align credit guarantees with sector-specific realities and improve lending access for smallholder farmers and fisherfolk.
Together, PCAFI’s proposals signal a push for structural reforms that tie infrastructure development directly to agricultural productivity. With the San Juanico Bridge highlighting the fragility of centralized transport routes, the group is advocating for a more decentralized, adaptive logistics and financing framework for the agri-food value chain.
