The Inland Haulers and Truckers Association (INHTA) has inducted its new Board of Trustees (BOT) for the year 2020.
Teodorico Gervacio remains as the association’s chairman and president, while John G. Siojo is vice president for external affairs, and Lee Marvin Gaerlan is vice president for internal affairs.
INHTA’s new BOT includes Salvador P. Tan, Elizabeth Infante, Ruben S. De Guzman, and Alexander A. Sardido.
Anna Kathrina H. De Guzman is board secretary while Perlita Melencio is treasurer.
Gervacio, in a speech during the induction ceremony on November 21, said the association, which was founded to express the trucking industry’s concerns, will continue to actively participate in discussions to address challenges faced by the industry.
Current concerns include the phase-out of trucks more than 15 years of age, “deadly traffic” on roads, numerous road regulations and penalties, “unjust” pricing schemes, technological changes, and global competition.
Gervacio noted in particular the evident changes in the industry brought about by technological developments and advancements that have shifted most of the workforce from manual work to automatic.
“We are now in a fast-paced, globally-competitive industry and it shows that our actions form part of a bigger network globally. So we have to adapt, keep up, and be on the same pace with the developments in the industry, keeping in mind and protecting those that we affect—our family, our employees, our business, our environment, our economy,” Gervacio said.
Gervacio said INHTA has been actively participating in the various technical working groups on transportation and logistics of the Senate, Department of Trade and Industry, and other government agencies.
The association is currently developing a movement called ILEAD, or Infrastructure, Legislation, Education, Administration, and Discipline. He said these five have been identified as key concepts that when they are “once directed and unified under the same goal, will create an optimistic future for the sector.”
ILEAD will work toward the improvement of roads, bridges, ports, and other facilities; creation of better laws and ordinances and better understanding of regulations; promotion of learning and education among truckers on road and port safety and preventive maintenance; proper and unified implementation of the law and local government ordinances; and adherence to personal discipline.