FAST Logistics Group encourages Philippine companies to adopt a forward stocking strategy to position inventory closer to customers as frequent typhoons and infrastructure gaps expose vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains.
The logistics provider said 2025 underscored the need for disruption-ready networks after more than 20 tropical cyclones hit the archipelago, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.
Back-to-back Typhoons Tino and Uwan damaged infrastructure and restricted cargo movement from Metro Manila to markets in the Visayas and Mindanao. FAST Logistics Group noted that in the fourth quarter of 2025, eight consecutive days of port closures led to delivery delays lasting up to 24 days.
“The question for business leaders is not whether disruption will happen, but how prepared the network is when it does,” FAST Logistics Group chief executive for logistics Manuel Onrejas Jr. said.
The forward stocking framework involves moving inventory from central hubs to strategic warehouses near demand centers before disasters strike. This allows companies to replenish stores quickly when ports or roads are closed. The process includes pre-positioning goods, implementing disaster preparedness controls and deploying inventory using fixed delivery schedules.
