Cebu steps up drive to boost manufacturing and logistics

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is intensifying its campaign to position Cebu as a manufacturing and logistics hub, banking on the province's strategic geography, expanding transport assets, and a young labor force to sustain economic momentum beyond services and tourism.

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CCCI president Jay Yuvallos said Cebu's growth trajectory—outpacing the national economy with a 7.3 percent expansion in 2023 and 2024—emphasizes the need to diversify into higher-value industries such as shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and supply-chain logistics.

The chamber is now pressing for deeper industry participation from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and broader integration into regional value chains, mirroring structured vendor-development programs seen in Thailand and Malaysia.

"Cebu has always been a trading hub. We have the ports, the airport, the talent, and the connectivity," Yuvallos said.

"What we're missing is a fully developed manufacturing ecosystem—one where local enterprises can plug into supply chains feeding regional and global markets," he added.

Building an Industrial Backbone

While Cebu's shipbuilding sector remains one of the strongest in the Philippines, the Chamber believes there is significant room to scale up manufacturing capabilities clustered in three existing ecozones.

CCCI is advocating to expand participation beyond the fences of these zones, enabling local suppliers to serve export factories more competitively.

Manufacturers operating in Cebu continue to face supply-chain bottlenecks, including high logistics costs and import dependencies.