MANILA – The
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) formally
launched Tuesday its new international marketing
campaign “Make It Happen in the Philippines”,
highlighting five key investment priority
sectors.
It is a unified, country-wide, and
multi-sector investment campaign that aims to
attract foreign investors to look into
opportunities in aerospace, automotive, copper,
information technology and business process
management (IT-BPM), and electronics sectors.
“The country’s new investment
promotion brand, Make it Happen in the
Philippines, is more than just a brand or a
tagline. It speaks of who we are as Filipinos
and as a government. It highlights our genuine
Filipino trait of resilience and ‘make it work’
mindset that exudes strength and adaptability
even in times of adversity,” DTI Secretary Ramon
Lopez said in his keynote speech.
He added the campaign is also a
“promise” to Filipinos that the country will
build back better amid the global health and
economic crisis.
Aerospace flies
The country positions itself to
become the hub for aerospace manufacturing and
aftermarket services in the Asia Pacific.
The DTI said the existing aerospace
supply chain can meet the diverse requirements
of the industry as the Philippines houses Tier-1
suppliers of the world’s largest aerospace
manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus.
The country is currently producing
aerospace parts, such as flight control
actuation systems, interiors, lavatories,
galleys, oxygen systems, and panel assembly as
well as product design engineering.
Local aerospace maintenance and
repair operations (MRO) is also growing as major
international carriers choose the Philippines to
maintain their fleets.
MRO capabilities in the country
include line and base maintenance, fleet
management, and cabin reconfiguration.
Aerospace players that are in the
Philippines include Collins Aerospace, Moog
Controls, Lufthansa Technik, and SIA
Engineering.
Automotive speeds ahead
The Philippines is also ready to
cater to the rising export demand for automotive
assembly and parts manufacturing with its
extensive auto supply chain comprising over 380
parts manufacturers.
Major auto parts producers in the
country include Yazaki Torres, International
Wiring Systems, and Asian Transmission Corp.
On the other hand, major auto
assemblers in the country include Toyota,
Mitsubishi, Honda, Denso, KTM, Scania, and
Volvo.
Copper shines
Having the fourth largest copper
reserves in the world, the Philippines is
well-placed to meet demands from domestic and
international markets.
The country has a diverse extraction
method and manufacturing to produce high-demand
copper-based products such as cathodes, alloys,
and foil.
The DTI targets to lure foreign
companies to invest in building world-class
copper mines, wire rod casting facilities, and
manufacturing of higher-value copper products.
The country has copper reserves of 4
billion metric tons. Annually, 300,000 dry
metric tons of copper are produced.
Business service thrives
The Philippines is a well-known
destination for IT-BPM investments with its
English-speaking and tech-savvy workforce.
The DTI said the country can offer
endless possibilities and potential in the
IT-BPM sector with the synergies in
manufacturing and services.
It has also been a cost-competitive
destination for multinational companies to do
their back offices here for the past two
decades.
The Philippines accounts for 15
percent of the global IT-BPM market, the second
largest in the world.
Electronics sparks
Host to around 500 global
semiconductors and electronics firms, the
Philippine electronics industry is a vital part
of the global value chain.
The industry accounts for 61 percent
of the country’s export revenues.
The DTI now eyes the country to
become the home of competitive integrated
circuit (IC) design firms.
There are also opportunities in the
sector particularly in manufacturing, chip
design, and original product design and
development works for products and technologies
in healthcare, automotive, aerospace, vehicle
batteries, and smart wearables.
“We are confident that the launch of
the Make it Happen in the Philippines campaign
will relay a clear message across to the rest of
the world that the Philippines is dynamic,
agile, and resilient. Now, more than ever, we
are ready to roll up our sleeves and make things
happen for you,” Lopez
said. (PNA)