Soon to operate in Taguig City, this is the first project approved under Tier III of the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) since it falls under “Highly Technical Manufacturing and Production of Innovative Products”.

With an investment of Php125 million, the project introduces a new production line dedicated to designing and manufacturing Steel Frame Modules or Panels from slit rolls of galvanized Cold Form Steel (CFS), commonly referred to as Light Gauge Steel (LGS). Accutech’s project stands out as highly technical, utilizing computer-aided and controlled processes for project management, structural design, and engineering. The steel frame modules are intended for Structural Building System applications, including for houses, mid-rise buildings, factory warehouses, and a variety of other residential, commercial, industrial, utility, artistic, and architectural structures.

DTI Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, BOI’s Managing Head, highlighted the project’s innovation, noting that the use of CFS/LGS framing for structural building systems is a relatively new technology for the Philippine construction industry. Advanced countries like the US, Australia, and New Zealand have already adopted CFS/LGS frames for structural building construction due to their economical, eco-friendly, and rapid construction benefits.

“We are forging ahead with groundbreaking investment opportunities in the Philippines. This project heralds a revolutionary chapter in our construction industry, showcasing cutting-edge innovations. The green light for this endeavor underscores our relentless dedication to driving the construction sector’s growth and dynamism,” emphasized Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Alfredo E. Pascual.

ASSCI’s initiative is poised to transform the construction industry towards a more economical, faster, sustainable, and smarter construction method for houses and buildings and aims to revolutionize the construction industry by offering sustainable and efficient solutions that meet the stringent requirements of modern architectural and engineering standards.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Research and Development, endorsed the Tier III project. ASSCI’s initiative represents the commercial implementation of one of DOST’s Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage the Philippine Economy (CRADLE) program, known as Smart Manufacturing for Rapid Technology (SMART) in Housing Construction.

In collaboration with De La Salle University – Manila as the implementing organization and ASSCI as the industry partner, the SMART program aims to develop an innovative CFS-based structure system, incorporating Screw Piles and utilizing Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) technology.

Title III of the SIPP covers research & development (R&D) and activities adopting advanced digital production technologies of the fourth industrial revolution, such as but not limited to, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), additive manufacturing, data analytics, digital transformative technologies, and other Industry 4.0 technologies.

In addition, the tier covers highly technical manufacturing and production of innovative products and services such as but not limited to the manufacture of equipment, parts & services; commercialization of intellectual property (IP) and R&D products/services; aerospace, medical devices (except personal protective equipment); internet of things (IoT) devices and systems (includes wireless sensors and devices); full-scale wafer fabrication; and advanced materials.

Several high-profile activities constituted the investment roadshow, starting with meetings with PTIC Osaka’s important strategic partners such as with officials of Resona Bank, Ltd. and the Osaka International Business Promotion Center.  This was followed by a high-level Philippine Investment Round Table Meeting hosted by Resona Bank at their Osaka headquarters, attended by major Kansai-based companies, many of which already have operations in the country.  

DTI Undersecretary (Vice Minister) and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head, Ceferino S. Rodolfo, delivered the Keynote Presentation at the Investment Round Table, where he discussed the strategic investment opportunities in key sectors, particularly for Japanese companies, government incentives, and the country’s comparative advantages.  

During the forum, Undersecretary Rodolfo discussed the current economic outlook, strategic opportunities for Japanese manufacturing players, and the country’s menu of investment incentives and programs.  Additionally, he highlighted the countries’ exceptional performance as it recovered from the negative effects of the pandemic, especially as the manufacturing industry, rose to being second in ASEAN in January to October 2022. PH exports also grew by 14.4% and foreign direct investments (FDI) by 82% in 2021. 

He also cited game-changing key policy reforms offering to provide valuable investment incentives and programs to reduce cost of doing business in the Philippines such as the: Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprise (CREATE) act, the amendments made to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA), Foreign Investment Act (FIA), and Public Services Act (PSA) which are all envisioned to attract more Japanese participation in the country’s FDI pipeline.
Deputy Consul General Melchor Lalunio of the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka delivered the closing remarks at the Philippine Investment Round Table Meeting, encouraging Japanese companies to explore investment possibilities in the country. 

In addition to the executives representing various companies at the round-table meeting, PTIC Osaka also organized a series of one-on-one meetings for the Undersecretary and the BOI executive Directors, with top executives of various Kansai-based Japanese companies, which all announced their plans to expand their operations and infuse additional investments into the country.   These companies belonged to key manufacturing sectors such as precision metal parts and components, high-end garments manufacturing, precision plastics and components, and software development among others, two of which signified their intention to establish manufacturing facilities in CALABARZON, in addition to existing facilities in Cebu. 

PTIC Osaka has identified several priority sectors (such as automotive industry manufacturing and EV, innovation and R&D, Agriculture modernization, pharmaceutical and life sciences, infrastructure development, among others) and key strategies in the delivery of its trade and investment promotion mandates, among them, aggressive promotion of the Philippines as a preferred destination for Japanese supply chain players, mostly belonging to the Small and Medium Enterprise bracket, which comprise 99.7% of all Japanese companies.    

This is particularly important as there is a pressing need to significantly improve the country’s manufacturing supply and value chain ecosystem to support the presence of major manufacturing conglomerates already operating in the country, as well as to attract the entry of new players and reduce dependence on importation in the sourcing of manufacturing imports and raw materials.  

“We believe that it is high time to put the spotlight on modern biotechnology,” Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa of the BOI’s Industry Development Services (IDS) pointed out, emphasizing the potential business opportunities in the Philippines owing to the numerous applications of biotechnology across industries.

“We hope that this technical forum will provide the stage to mainstream bioeconomy as a national agenda in the coming years and future NBWs,” Executive Director Halili-Dichosa added.

Held in a hybrid format, the forum featured eleven local and international experts. Consistent with this year’s theme, “Responding to the Challenges: Business Opportunities in Biotechnology,” the forum titled, “Emerging Modern Industrial Biotech Applications: Prospects and Opportunities” had five sessions that covered biotech applications in food manufacturing, particularly plant-based foods, animal vaccines, biomaterials, energy, environment, pharmaceutical, and medicine.

In the first session, Mr. Lee Bridgett of IHS-Markit and Dr. Douglas Gladue of the USDA-Agricultural Research Service discussed plant-based foods and African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines, respectively.

While the second session featured Ms. Lizzie Guerrero of OIKOS Sustainable Solutions Incorporated, who discussed their cassava- and corn-based packaging products, and Dr. Jerome Palaganas of Nanotronics, Inc., who explained the role of biotechnology in the biomaterials sector.

For the third part of the sessions, Ms. Charisse Jane D. Pascual of the Department of Energy (DOE) talked about biotechnology in energy with a focus on biomass and waste-to-heat energy, while Ms. Janine Contiguerra-Baguhin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) discussed biotechnology in environment highlighting the importance of plant tissue culture. Mr. Jonathan Cheng, Co-Founder of Pullulo Pte. Ltd, on the other hand, explained the role of start-ups in shaping modern biotechnologies for various industries.

Moreover, Mr. Nitin Kapoor, Vice President of AstraZeneca’s Vaccine and Immune Therapies International, Mr. Higinio P. Porte Jr. of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, and Ms. Linda G. Tantiansu of Swisspharma Research Laboratories, Inc. shared their journeys in the development of their products and services using modern biotechnology. Mr. Kapoor discussed their COVID-19 vaccine while Mr. Porte touched on Lagundi, and Ms. Tantiansu talked about stem cell therapy.

Further, a total of 107 participants, both online and onsite, showed up during the forum and had the chance to ask questions to the line-up of speakers.

Closing the forum, BOI’s Mr. Francis Peñaflor emphasized Biotech Biz Beats in the Philippines as shown by the different presentations during the session. With the forum, the BOI calls on all industry stakeholders to make bioeconomy in the country a reality.

Prior to this project, AOSPI has three (3) existing sites across the Philippines: two in Cebu City and one in Metro Manila.

Viewed to bolster the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry in the country, the project will commence its commercial operations in September 2022. The VCS project will provide customer and vendor management services to support Amazon’s global retail business and sellers.  

“True enough, the approval of this project shows that we are not faltering in our efforts to advance the IT-BPM industry in the country. This is just the start of more investments being injected into the country’s economy, specifically into the IT-BPM industry. We are making it happen in the Philippines,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said.  

AOSPI provides various support services such as remote technical support services, IT development, customer support, customer care services, business process outsourcing, and back-office support, which includes but is not limited to systems, hardware, software, and human resources relating to the back-office, among others.  

Significantly, the said company sees the Philippines as the top priority for its new project and investments, owing to the high technical skills and level of English proficiency of the Filipino workforce.  

Notably, the project will adopt 100% work-from-home operations for its contact center agents. The said VCS project is set to expand AOSPI’s current operation in the remote workplace not just as a response to the persisting pandemic, which necessitates a hybrid workspace combining both on-site and remote operations,  but following the global work trends as well. 

Based on the project’s multiplier values, it is projected to generate 1,058 jobs for Filipinos, with Php959.5 million contribution to the economy and Php616.9 million to household income. 

Based on the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP) for 2018 to 2022, the IT-BPM is a key export sector of the country. In addition, the said project is forecasted to beef up the realization of the PEDP 2018-22 end-period target for exports of goods and services.  

The IT-BPM is among the industries that have been actively promoted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to increase the country’s export.  In 2021, the country’s IT-BPM industry recorded an estimated revenue of USD29.5 billion, signifying a 10.6 percent jump from the previous year. Further, the number of full-time employees (FTEs) in the country soared by 120,000 in 2021, bringing the sector’s total headcount to 1.44 million, registering a growth of 9.1 percent compared to 2020.

“Amid the steep surge of COVID-19 cases exacerbated by the emergence of new variants, it is a crucial and urgent step to produce oral therapies locally to reduce hospitalization, and for those who will be hospitalized—to lessen the period of hospitalization, and to prevent the death of Filipinos who contracted the virus. In fact, the BOI has been at the forefront of harnessing the Philippine manufacturing capacity in the fight against the pandemic including through the repurposing project for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), disinfectants, and ventilators; and industrial coordination to ensure that oxygen is available across all hospitals in the country during the Delta surge,” said Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Ramon Lopez.  

An existing manufacturer of various medicines, Lloyd Laboratories recently expanded its production facility in Malolos, Bulacan, which will be used to produce the drug. With an estimated cost of Php24 million and an annual capacity of one million 400 mg capsules of Molnupiravir, the project is expected to start production this January. The project was approved for complying with the qualification requirements for “All Qualified Activities Relating to the Fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic – Essential Goods” Listing of the 2020 IPP as the transitional Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP) under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) Law.  

Lloyd Laboratories acquired a direct technology transfer on Molnupiravir production from Optimus Pharma, an integrated pharmaceutical organization in Hyderabad. The laboratory reported that it intends to make the product available locally at the soonest time.  

Based on the interim results of the Phase III Clinical Trials of Optimus Pharma conducted in India for orally administered Molnupiravir capsules on patients with mild symptoms, the addition of Molnupiravir to the standard of care (SOC) significantly results in faster clinical improvement in reducing viral load. It also resulted to a significantly higher proportion of patients achieving RT-PCR negative results on Days 5 and 10. In Vietnam, Stella Pharma, which Optimus Pharma also supported in terms of technology transfer conducted a Clinical Trial which has also shown promising results with RT-PCR negativity on Day 5 at 75.4%.  

Based on these results, the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) to Lloyd Laboratories, limited to supplying Recuenco General Hospital a total of 20,000 400mg capsules for one year or until November 2022.  

Lloyd Laboratories also applied for a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) with the FDA to make the drug more widely available. Secretary  Lopez, in this connection, added, ”We coordinated with and received a commitment from DOH Secretary Duque, without prejudice to the FDA action, to look into the CPR application of Lloyd Laboratories.” 

“We invite other pharmaceutical companies to look at this model and how we can replicate it in order to further fill-in the gaps not only in our fight against the pandemic but also in providing more affordable critical medicines and health products to Filipinos. The project’s approval is, of course, subject to relevant rules and regulations and whatever flexibilities afforded by our laws,” added BOI Managing Head and DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo.  

The Suggested Retail Price (SRP) of the locally-made Molnupiravir is Php65/pill, which is much lower than its imported counterpart that sells around Php100 to Php150 per pill providing a COVID patient around Php35 to Php85 in savings per pill . 

This production of Molnupiravir forms part of BOI’s goal of developing local capacity for the manufacturing of strategic products. For medicines and vaccines, for example, BOI has been linking local industry with vaccine originators through a project with technical support provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  

In addition, “the DTI also successfully convinced its international partners to exempt the Philippines from their export bans of key active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) needed for the production of critical medicines,” the Secretary said.  

The BOI continues to coordinate with other government agencies, particularly Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the FDA, to facilitate issuance of the necessary permits and licenses.  

“During times of national emergencies–whether due to natural calamities or global health crises—the importance of having local capability to supply critical and strategic products only serve to remind us of the imperative of ensuring the development of our local manufacturing industry,” ended Sec. Lopez. 

A domestic market enterprise, Sinoma complied with the qualification requirements under “Energy” of the 2020 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) as the transitional Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) of the recently-enacted Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE). 

Despite the delayed construction caused by the pandemic, the WHR plant costing around Php531.2 million is projected to commence its commercial operations during the first quarter of 2022.  There will be about 17 employees, mostly from the city of Naga and nearby areas.  

Under a Power Supply Agreement (PSA), the WHR Power Generating Plant will provide significant support to a specific cement company in Cebu by capturing and using the waste heat of the cement plant to generate steady and cost-effective supply of electricity at about 23,130,000 KWH per year.  The project will thus, result in an indirect impact of increasing the power supply available for use by other consumers. Without the project, the heat content of the gases generated by the cement plant will simply go to waste.   

According to the Philippines’ Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change Mitigation report dated June 2018, the cement industry has already installed three (3) waste heat recovery power generation systems with a total capacity of 17.5 MW in the following: 1) Cemex Antipolo Plant (6 MW); 2) Lafarge Teresa Plant (4.5 MW); and Eagle Cement Corporation (7 MW). The same report indicates that WHR system lowers plant specific energy consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and air pollutants emissions. It was estimated that carbon dioxide emission reduction is 11,800 tons/year for Lafarge Teresa Plant that has a similar capacity with the Project at 4.5 MW. 

In 2020, coal relentlessly dominated the installed capacity mix in the Philippines with a share of 42 percent followed by Renewable Energy (RE) at 29 percent, Oil-Based at 16 percent, and Natural Gas sits at 13 percent.   Globally, climate change has been a hot topic for several years, and in a bid to phase down coal eventually, the Glasgow Climate Pact was struck recently at the COP26 to reduce coal use and to ultimately cut carbon emission.   In a press conference, Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo shared that the country would shift to greener and sustainable initiatives.  

Energy demand will rise again as the economy recovers from the pandemic.  Building up of capacity and employment of energy-efficient technologies are necessary in order to ensure a stable/ unhampered and hopefully, cleaner supply of electricity.

I won’t pretend to be an expert in Japanese culture or business dynamics. But I could fairly claim a good familiarity with their unique “keiei rinri” or business ethics.

The COVID-19 pandemic, a virus that originated in Wuhan, China has created a global health crisis that affected everyone’s life and the broad spectrum of businesses. And for the Japanese, a crisis is something that they will never refuse to deal with. Needless to say, crisis is an opportunity for them to seize. This is the reason why the Japanese have this proverb, “Ishi no ue ni mo sannen.” (Patience and perseverance lead to success.)

Japanese is known for being resilient, and this is something we Filipinos can learn from. For them, the pandemic is a crisis that needs to be dealt with utmost patience, prudence and courage.

The recent decision of Nissan Philippines to shut down its assembly operations in the country this March has caught many people by surprise — myself not included for reasons I’d discuss later.

Despite this unfortunate development, Nissan Philippines Inc. President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima assured valued customers and the Filipino people that Nissan Philippines is here to stay and shall continue to serve its customers. “Nissan remains committed to its investments in the Philippines. The company will continue to contribute to the growth of the Philippine automotive industry through its innovative products and excellent services, as well as its dealer expansion nationwide,” said Mr. Najima.

THEPHILBIZNEWS has always been in the loop when it comes to Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) updates on business developments concerning Japanese firms. In recent years, it has aired concerns over changes in the ownership of the companies in the Philippines and tax incentives to encourage more investors to come or stay in the Philippines. But apparently, the Department of Finance continues to be deaf to calls for incentives. The Board of Investments of the Philippines (BOI) has said that incentives afforded to foreign investors should at least be at par with other ASEAN-member countries.

This is the same sentiment across foreign chambers of commerce in the Philippines, that the incentives for foreign investors would be something attractive to keep their business in the country given the fact our ASEAN neighbors have been very aggressive in enticing investors to do business in their respective countries.

I remember what the president of a Korean company in the Philippines told me back in the third quarter of 2016 when they invited me to the groundbreaking of their other branch. In a worried tone, he said: “The Philippines should not just focus on China investors. This is bad for the country and will spook other foreign investors.”

The truth is, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and now Cambodia have been very aggressive in their bells and whistles strategy by offering attractive incentives to foreign investors. My Japanese friend who studied in the UK describes these trade policies as “very hard to refuse.”

Compared with other Asian counterparts and Westerners, the Japanese have group solidarity, even in terms of decision-making. Thus, it is important to understand this peculiar cultural mindset of the Japanese. The team concept is not just strong but also very important to them.

I can safely presume that the decision of Nissan Philippines to close the assembly operation in the Philippines went through the “nemawashi.” This involves the Japanese’s management values consensus. I am sure even companies that are part of JETRO have the same process. And as what a Japanese proverb says, “A single arrow is easily broken but not ten in a bundle.”

I hope that before other foreign firms follow to the exit, this administration will take time to seriously listen to the sentiments and valuable input not just of the Japanese investors but also to other investors.

As for Nissan Philippines, they will continue to be here in the country to do business and my hope is they will reinstate their assembly plant when better times return at the end of this pandemic. Perhaps, the government can even start reaching out to the top executives of Nissan and see how they can help in its bid to ramp up its sustainable mobility initiatives.

As they gear up to launch the Nissan Leaf in the Philippines, I hope that the government will look beyond the marketing activity of Nissan Philippines Inc., by encouraging them to start manufacturing their EV in the Philippines and give them the necessary and attractive incentives and start the ball rolling again. When this happens, this would certainly catch the attention of other foreign investors and suddenly put the Philippines on their radar for future offshore investment plans.

Sadly, the myopic view of some of Duterte’s economic managers unwittingly shooed away many foreign investors and would be investors. Which for me is not only idiotic but also counter-intuitive.

Case in point, the feeling genius but bookish Department of Finance Undersecretary Kendrick Karl Chua, who was invited to be one of the speakers in the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines 2019 Philippine Business Outlook Briefing held at Dusit Thani Manila together with UK Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce, DTI Assistant Secretary Angelo Taningco, Department of Finance Undersecretary Karl Chua, and renowned economist Dr. Bernie Villegas.

In his speech attended by business leaders, diplomats, representatives from the government and private sector and the media, Chua blasted the Japanese companies and their executives when he said that when he visited Japan perhaps to eat sashimi and sushi, he found out that the tax reform program that his master wanted to implement was not welcomed very much not just by the Japanese companies doing business in the Philippines but also other foreign companies.

Obviously, Chua trained his gun on the ever-calm Japanese executives who attended the Business Outlook Briefing either because he doesn’t have an iota of knowledge about dealing with Japanese, or because his DNA has resentment against the Japanese.

Either way, the most uncouth thing to do or to shoo away investors is to insult them. Telling that these Japanese companies and their executives who didn’t understand the confused tax reform programs he wanted to implement was either lying or didn’t understand it, was uncalled for. It is his duty as the proponent to explain further if others don’t understand it. But shaming them in a gathering of business does not make him better than them!

Nonetheless, Nissan Philippines still took a daring gambit in their plan to bring in the EV to the Philippines. I wish them well in their effort and determination to contribute to environmental preservation through sustainable mobility. For our government, I hope to see astuteness in them and see an opportunity in the future of mobility and support Nissan in their effort to import the vehicles and then in the process convince them to set up their manufacturing of EV in the Philippines.

On final note, it is an admirable tactic for Nissan to be at the forefront in bringing the EV to the Philippines as they look towards the future. As the Japanese proverb goes, “Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu“. (You cannot get a cub without going into the tiger’s cave.)

By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios

Capitalizing on the natural resources and believing in the power and result of collaboration, the Philippines and Indonesia recently held an online Copper Industry Dialogue with its Indonesian counterpart, Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) along with other government agencies and stakeholders on both sides. 

Through the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI), the Dialogue was conceptualized and proposed during the 8th meeting of the Philippines-Indonesia Joint Working Group on Trade, Investments, Handicrafts and Shipping (PH-ID JWG-TIHS) which was virtually conducted on August 11, 2020. It is also a follow-up initiative of the Philippine side after presenting economic proposals/areas for collaboration in the copper industry during the 7th meeting of the PH-ID JWG-TIHS on August 26, 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia.   

“This serves as a venue for both countries to exchange information, share good practices, and present investment opportunities and areas for collaboration in the sector, among others. The dialogue serves as a benchmark for future initiatives and collaborations between the Philippines and Indonesia in different sectors,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said.  

To recall, the BOI recently launched the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone or LEIZ Master Development Plan which outlines the strategies to successfully develop the very first ecological industrial zone in the country that will anchor on the copper industry and other allied industries such as iron and steel and shipbuilding. Another BOI-led project, the Make It Happen in the Philippines investments promotion campaign, features the copper industry as one of the priority sectors for investment promotion. These projects relate to the current pandemic situation as it forms part of the Philippines’ plan in rebuilding the economy. 

Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Leehiong Wee expressed support for the dialogue saying it is instrumental in advancing the cooperation of both sides as he expects both countries to coordinate with each other for cooperation and eventual joint projects. 

During the dialogue, both sides presented overviews of its respective mining/copper industry and existing/relevant policies, as well as possible collaboration areas in the sector. 

Undersecretary Rodolfo expressed hope that both countries will complement each other with “Indonesia helping us develop our upstream, midstream, and downstream copper industries that are needed to realize full integration of the industry which we hope to achieve by 2030.”  

Mr. Eulalio Austin Jr., President and CEO of Philex Mining Corp. mentioned the pipeline copper projects of Silangan Project in Surigao del Norte, Tampakan Project in South Cotabato, and Kingking Project in Compostela Valley that will require huge capital investments. Once these will be realized, it will yield economic progress not only to Mindanao but the country in general. 

The Indonesian side led by BKPM Director for Bilateral Investment Cooperation Mr. Randi Anwar, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ Director General for Mineral and Coal Dr. Muhammad Wafid, and Ministry of Industry’s Acting Head of Sub-Directorate for Non-Iron Metal Industry Dr. Bimo Pratomo, welcomed future collaboration and cooperation activities on the copper/mining industry to help each sides’ downstream copper industries. 

“There is certainly a wide scope of cooperation between the Philippines and Indonesia to undertake concerted and mutually supportive efforts to grow our copper industries and improve our integration in global value chains. This dialogue is a recognition of the opportunities for cooperation between our two countries. I am confident that this will only be one of the many bilateral initiatives for the copper industry,” BOI Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa said in the dialogue’s closing. 

The online dialogue was attended by several government agencies including DTI-BITR, DTI-EMB, DTI-FTSC, PTIC-Jakarta, Embassy of the Philippines in Indonesia, and representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Science and Technology and along with various industry stakeholders in mining, smelting, downstream copper players, and industry associations. Meanwhile, the Indonesian delegation included the BKPM, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Industry, PT Freeport Indonesia, Philippine Business Club, and the Embassy of Indonesia in the Philippines.

The Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) clinched the runner-up position in the recent 2020 Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Awards for the South, East Asia and Oceania region on the strength of its approval of the Philippines Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd Inc.’s (PFOCN) US$2.650 billion project. The award reaffirms the Agency’s service excellence in promoting and driving strategic and socially-relevant investments in the country.  

The investment projects were evaluated using the following criteria: size of investment, type and form of investment, scale of job creation, innovation and technology transfer, exports, import substitution, local linkages sustainable development, eco-friendly, and impact on country competitiveness and FDI attraction.  

Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo received the award and thanked the AIM organizers. “It is an honor not only for the Agency but for the whole country. Even amidst the ongoing virus pandemic, there is no let-up in our drive to attract more investments as we recently breached the US$16 billion mark (Php780 billion @ Php48.5 to US$1) through September this year which is actually up two percent from the same period last year. No matter how small the increase, we welcome it as other economies even struggle to eke out a growth during the pandemic,” he said adding that he is also looking forward for the infrastructure, telecommunication, as well as transportation and power sectors to step up further in a post-pandemic scenario.  

Trade Undersecretary and Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo delivered his speech for winning the runner-up spot for the project Philippines Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd., Inc. (PFOCN) in the South, East Asia and Oceania Region Category of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Investment Awards held on 22 October 2020. 

The PFOCN project was granted pioneering status as it will build 60,000 route kilometers (or 40 million cores km) of fiber optic cable nationwide and is considered the single most extensive cable network project in the Philippines to date. The project is supportive of the launch of communications operators of innovative technologies such as 5G network, cloud service, internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence services at more affordable prices to Filipinos and Philippine-based companies. It also directly corresponds to the call of the Duterte administration to improve the country’s overall internet speed and spur job generating investments in the regions.  

The BOI, for its part, has extended its assistance to the company by seeking the full support of relevant government agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), etc.) and local government units (LGUs) in processing its business requirements needed to undertake its telecom infrastructure works.  

In addition, BOI created an Account Management Team (AMT), composed of relevant government agencies, acting as a facilitator to ensure the immediate delivery of services and prevent any delay in the course of the project’s construction/implementation.  

The Annual AIM Investment Awards is an initiative of the Ministry of Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is considered among the global leaders in investment-focused events, offering a perfect blend of trade fair and intellectual features aimed at enriching institutional, corporate and individual investors attending with a comprehensive set of guidelines for their future investment decisions in high growth regions. It was launched in 2013 and has become a widely appreciated recognition of the best investment promotion agencies (IPAs) attracting the best investment projects in a given year. Awards are given to selected IPAs in nine (9) regions globally.  

This marks the third time BOI has won at the AIM Awards. It garnered first place in 2015 and runner-up position in 2017.

A trio of big companies have reaffirmed their confidence to further growth their businesses in the Philippines saying the country has what it takes to thrive even amidst the global challenges and uncertainties, including the coronavirus pandemic. This was bared by Lufthansa Technik Philippines, Medtecs International, and Texas Instruments in their testimonials during the official launch event of the “Make It Happen In The Philippines” campaign recently (November 24, 2020).

Led by the Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) in partnership with the United Kingdom (UK) Government, the campaign was launched internationally, via the Zoom online meeting platform with a live feed from the onsite event in Makati Diamond Residences and livestreamed via the Philippines Business Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/philippines.business). Over 600 attendees and viewers composed of local and international investors; would-be investors businessmen; industry associations, and chambers of commerce; local and international government officials; and relevant stakeholders attended the Zoom online platform was live-streamed on Facebook.

The “Make It Happen in the Philippines” is the country’s new international investment promotion brand primarily designed to generate investment leads. It targets investors in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific, Europe and America and initially focuses on promoting the key industries that have the most potential for foreign investment, namely: automotive, aerospace, electronics, IT-BPM, and copper/nickel.

The “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,” Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Secretary Ramon Lopez said during his keynote speech at the campaign’s launch event.

Lufthansa Technik Philippines CEO Elmar Lutter affirmed how the Filipino workforce has driven the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations of global aerospace in the country. He also highlighted the government’s support to grow investments in the Philippines. “We’re confident that with efficient testing and the coming vaccines, I am sure that the industry will recover in no time. We continue to provide jobs to over 3,000 capable Filipinos as engineers and technicians. We appreciate the government’s efforts to attract investments through one-stop-shop and support it extends to all investors, export sectors and key industries to navigate the scene” Lutter said.

“DTI’s open ear anytime and to anything has encouraged us to invest more despite the uncertainties including this pandemic. We have to make long-term decisions and are glad to have reliable partners like DTI, among others. We welcome the relentless efforts of the DTI in showcasing the Philippines to the rest of the world,” Lutter added.

Medtecs International CEO Clement Yang meanwhile emphasized how his company was able to double its production of masks despite the pandemic due to the growing demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). “We continue to serve the demands of the public along with about 32 hospitals to date. We have been in operations for over 30 years starting with sales of about US$2 to 3 million to about US$50 million today,” Yang said and this was possible due to the “excellence of the Filipino workers and stable labor costs for the past 30 years.”  “I also admired the resilience of the Filipinos, starting from the Taal eruption, the virus pandemic, and the successive typhoons and how the people were able to overcome all of them,” Yang continued.

Texas Instruments (TI), one of the country’s top semiconductor firms and among the biggest electronics exporters, also sounded off on the capabilities of the Philippines to further grow its business. “We have been here for over 40 years and we continue to provide critical applications in industrials, automotive, personal electronics, communication equipment, and enterprise systems around the globe,” stated Ralph Morales, TI Director for Government Affairs and Public Relations.

Morales pointed out that “we continue to see a steady stream of Filipino talents ready to take on the challenging and fast-paced of work in TI. The Filipino workforce are problem solvers who shape the future of electronics and operative with passion and thrives in the TI culture that is trustworthy, innovative, inclusive, competitive, and results-oriented.”

“We applaud the brand of service of the DTI, PEZA, and BOI not only in attracting more investors to the country but also in their efforts to further improve the business landscape. Through these efforts, we look forward to a flourishing Philippine landscape that generates jobs for the Filipinos and revenues for the export sector in the overall development of the local industries,” Morales added.

The “Make It Happen In The Philippines” brand campaign is the first-ever unified, multisector, multimarket, and sustainable campaign that passed through a series of consultations with concerned stakeholders, and market-tested (as a standard industry practice in developing brands.) It replaces the dozens of international investment promotion brands and campaign initiatives separately used by various investment promotion agencies in the Philippines.

Prospective investors and businessmen interested to do business in the Philippines can talk or request a free consultation with a dedicated Investments Specialist by visiting ​ https://philippines.business/contact/ or sending an email to philippines.business@boi.gov.ph.  Regular updates are also posted in the campaign’s official social media handles Philippines Business on Facebook and Instagram, philippinesbiz on Twitter, BOI Philippines on Linkedin, and Board of Investments Philippines on Youtube.