Food and Beverage Logistics: How Universal Canning Inc. Built a More Resilient Supply Chain During Covid-19 Pandemic

Food and beverage logistics has become a critical driver of business continuity in an unpredictable supply chain environment.  

In the Philippines, manufacturers face constant challenges that can disrupt the movement of essential goods. Natural disasters, port congestion, fluctuating transportation capacity, and public health crises can all affect supply chains. These disruptions can delay deliveries, interrupt operations, and make it difficult to keep products available where they are needed most.

To keep products available on supermarket shelves and in communities nationwide, food and beverage companies need resilient logistics networks that can adapt quickly. It requires reliable transportation capacity, integrated warehousing, nationwide distribution, and a logistics partner capable of responding quickly when market conditions change. 

For Universal Canning Inc., one of the country’s leading sardine manufacturers, supply chain resilience was put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic. The homegrown brand maintained uninterrupted nationwide distribution despite the crisis, ensuring millions of Filipino families continued to have access to canned sardines, an essential food staple. 

This blog is designed for supply chain leaders seeking practical lessons on building supply chain resilience and maintaining nationwide distribution during disruptions.

Why Food and Beverage Logistics is Challenging in the Philippines 

Unlike many industries, food and beverage manufacturers operate supply chains where product availability directly affects consumers every day. They must overcome several operational challenges, including: 

• Limited shelf life of products, which requires proper inventory rotation and warehouse management 

• Unpredictable demand driven by seasonal trends, promotions, and changing consumer preferences 

• Stringent retailer and modern trade requirements such as strict delivery windows, OTIF (On-Time, In-Full) compliance, and merchandising standards 

• Complex nationwide distribution across the Philippines’ archipelagic geography, requiring multimodal transportation (land, RoRo, air, and sea)

• Supply chain disruptions caused by natural disasters, port congestion, and transportation capacity constraints 

Manufacturers must balance production, inventory, and logistics to ensure products remain fresh and readily available. During periods of disruption, this becomes even more challenging as transportation capacity tightens and lead times change.

Universal Canning: Providing a Filipino Household Staple 

Established in Zamboanga City, the Sardines Capital of the Philippines, Universal Canning manufactures some of the country’s most recognized brands, including Family’s Brand Sardines, Master Sardines, Mikado Sardines, and Atami Brand Sardines. 

The company owns its fishing vessels and a wharf, allowing freshly caught sardines to be transported directly to its processing facilities in Zamboanga. Once canned and packed, finished products are temporarily stored in warehouses before being shipped to markets across the Philippines. 

This is where logistics becomes a critical part of the company’s operations. 

For more than 30 years, FAST Logistics Group has supported Universal Canning’s nationwide transport requirements, moving containerized shipments from Zamboanga to key markets such as Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro City, and General Santos City through reliable door-to-door and pier-to-door transport solutions. 

Building Supply Chain Resilience Through Partnership 

In the food and beverage industry, delays in transportation can quickly translate into empty supermarket shelves and missed sales opportunities. Having a dependable logistics partner allows manufacturers to maintain product availability even when unexpected disruptions occur. 

For Universal Canning, reliability has been one of the defining strengths of its long-standing partnership with FAST. 

“Every time we needed FAST’s service, it was always a smooth experience. They are always quick to provide assistance to us,” says Lailanie Pangilinan, Warehouse Superintendent of Universal Canning Inc. 

That responsiveness has enabled Universal Canning to continue serving retailers and consumers with confidence, knowing that its logistics partner can support its various transportation requirements. 

Keeping Essential Food Products Moving During the Pandemic 

The true value of a resilient supply chain became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As mobility restrictions disrupted transportation networks across the country, demand for shelf-stable food products increased significantly. Sardines became one of the essential food items relied upon by millions of Filipino households during lockdowns or community quarantine.

Rather than slowing down, Universal Canning experienced a surge in demand—an opportunity it was able to maximize because it continued shipping products nationwide despite mobility restrictions.

“Even during the pandemic, they (FAST) never failed us. Our operations doubled, and sales even increased by 50%,” Assistant Manager Charlito Magsayo recalls. 

To support this increased demand, FAST transported about 20 container vans to major destinations including Manila, Davao, and General Santos, helping ensure that essential food products continued reaching supermarkets, grocery stores, wholesalers, and communities across the country. 

To ensure flexible capacity, FAST works with more than 900 trucking partners for land freight and RoRo shipping, 14 shipping lines for domestic sea freight, and two airline carriers for air freight solutions. This extensive transport network allows businesses to keep uninterrupted deliveries across the country. 

For Universal Canning, reliable F&B logistics meant keeping an essential food staple available to Filipino families during one of the country’s most challenging periods. 

What Food and Beverage Companies Can Learn from Universal Canning 

The experience of Universal Canning highlights an important lesson for food and beverage manufacturers: resilience is built long before disruptions occur. 

A resilient supply chain depends on reliable transportation capacity, nationwide logistics infrastructure, responsive operational support, and a trusted logistics partner capable of adapting to changing market conditions. 

Whether responding to sudden spikes in consumer demand, navigating transportation disruptions, or expanding into new markets, manufacturers need logistics partners that can consistently move products where and when they are needed. 

Watch this YouTube video to learn more.

Scaling Food and Beverage Logistics Without Compromising Cost or Service 

As businesses grow, so do their logistics requirements. Expanding into new markets often means balancing wider distribution coverage with increasing transportation and inventory costs. 

FAST helps manufacturers achieve both. By moving high shipment volumes and managing large-scale inventory for leading FMCG companies, FAST creates economies of scale that translate into more cost-efficient logistics solutions. Supported by advanced Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) and Transportation Management Systems (TMS), manufacturers gain greater control over their supply chains through real-time shipment visibility and electronic proof of delivery. 

This combination of scale, technology, and operational expertise enables food and beverage companies to grow without sacrificing service reliability. 

FAST serves some of the largest FMCG companies and food retailers in the Philippines, supporting leading brands with innovative and sustainable logistics solutions that enable business expansion and inclusive growth.

To support store replenishment and nationwide distribution, FAST offers volume-based delivery services, first-mile trucking and mid-mile trucking, and less-than-truckload (LTL) or less-than-container load (LCL) transport solutions, including port-to-hub, hub-to-store, and port-to-store deliveries.

Our transport logistics solutions include:

• Manpower and operational support
• Last-mile and provincial delivery solutions, including key cities across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
• Fleet deployment and distribution solutions
• Port-to-hub, port-to-store, hub-to-store, door-to-door, and door-to-pier transportation
• Air freight and sea freight

Built to Support Nationwide Growth 

Whether serving supermarkets in Metro Manila or retailers in emerging provincial markets, food and beverage manufacturers require a logistics partner capable of delivering consistently across the archipelago. 

FAST supports nationwide distribution through an integrated logistics network that reaches 94% of Philippine provinces. Its end-to-end capabilities include warehousing, cold chain, multimodal transportation, cross-docking, and toll manufacturing or value-added services—all managed through a single supply chain partner. 

FAST also has extensive experience supporting food and beverage manufacturers in supplying modern trade channels, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, and retail chains across the Philippines.  

With a deep understanding of retailer requirements such as strict delivery windows, OTIF performance, pallet configurations, barcode compliance, and promotional rollouts, FAST helps manufacturers consistently meet modern trade standards. Ultimately, essential products remain available on store shelves. 

FAST Logistics Group: Trusted 3PL Partner for Food and Beverage Logistics 

For more than 50 years, FAST has helped food and beverage manufacturers strengthen their supply chains through integrated logistics solutions that include warehousing, multi-modal transportation (land, RoRo, air, and sea), cold chain, cross-docking, and toll manufacturing or value-added services. 

FAST’s three-decade partnership with Universal Canning demonstrates how the right logistics partner can help manufacturers improve supply chain resilience, maintain nationwide product availability, and continue serving Filipino consumers even during periods of unprecedented disruption. 

Their long-term relationship also demonstrates the value of having a third-party logistics (3PL) partner that delivers consistently through both periods of growth and times of disruption. Whether supporting nationwide distribution, helping manufacturers transition their logistics operations, or ensuring business continuity during unforeseen events, FAST as 3PL brings together the people, infrastructure, technology, and operational expertise needed to keep supply chains moving. 

As supply chains become increasingly complex, manufacturers need an integrated supply chain partner capable of improving efficiency, controlling logistics costs, and adapting to changing market conditions. FAST, with its proven performance, nationwide reach, technology-enabled operations, and solutions-oriented approach, empowers food and beverage companies to strengthen supply chain resilience and grow with confidence across the Philippines. 

Looking to build a more resilient food and beverage supply chain? Connect with our Solutions Experts to learn how our integrated logistics solutions can help your business navigate disruptions