2GO bullish on Mindanao, expands footprint

MANILA, Philippines — Logistics giant 2GO Group Inc. is further expanding its Mindanao business to strengthen the shipping backbone of the island, where it is handling as many as 1.5 million packages yearly.

At the 35th Mindanao Business Conference, 2GO reported that its forwarding business is seeing rising demand in the island, hitting about 1.5 million packages, or 150,000 transactions, annually.

2GO COO and chief financial officer William Howell said the shipper operates 93 distribution hubs and warehouses nationwide, and 18 of them are in Mindanao.

Likewise, Howell said 2GO’s roll-on, roll-off (Roro) business Sea Solutions is projected to reach new heights. Last year the unit transported roughly 2.5 million metric tons of cargo to and from Mindanao.

To date, 2GO Sea Solutions connects Mindanao to several cities nationwide. In the island, the shipper deploys passenger and cargo Roros from Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Butuan, Dipolog, Davao, General Santos City and Zamboanga as part of its 20-port network nationally.

On top of this, 2GO’s passenger service reaches 36 routes nationwide, including 18 with stops in Mindanao, supporting sea-based travel to and from the island.

The shipper manages around 37 voyages weekly to Mindanao from Luzon and the Visayas, boosting trade and tourism activities among the islands.

“Connectivity is not merely about moving goods and passengers; it is about enabling commerce, expanding access, attracting investments and strengthening communities,” Howell said.

He underscored 2GO’s vision for Mindanao, which is to bolster its economic viability by linking it to buying markets. 2GO sees itself as a bridge for Mindanao farmers to markets, manufacturers to consumers and exporters to gateways.

This is why Howell said 2GO is bringing in more logistics services into the island. This includes project logistics for large-scale developments, e-commerce shipping, cross-docking solutions and cold chain capabilities for agricultural and food products.

Howell said 2GO would combine its sea forwarding, passenger travel and other solutions to keep Mindanao a competitive market for trade and tourism.

The 35th Mindanao Business Conference, held in Cagayan de Oro, gathered some of the island’s industry leaders to outline how they will move forward in a challenging economy.