In
photo: President Rodrigo Duterte (center L), DTI Secretary Ramon
Lopez (2nd from L), Executive Secretary Medialdea (3rd from L),
Department of Finance Secretary Carlos Domiguez (leftmost),
Mistubishi Motors Corporation President Osamu Masuko (center
right). |
Additional 1,000 in
jobs rolls-off in auto manufacturing industry
By DTI-OSEC-PRU
February 28, 2017
MANILA – Following
the Presidential visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and the
signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Mistubishi Motors
Corporation (MMC) President Osamu Masuko and Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez last October in Tokyo, Japan,
President Duterte, Secretary Lopez together with Executive Secretary
Salvador Medialdea and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, led the
launching ceremony of the Philippine manufactured Mirage G4 under the
Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS), February 27, in
Malacañang.
The production of the Mirage
G4 in the Philippines is in line with the initiative of the government
to revive and develop the auto manufacturing industry in the country,
making it as a regional manufacturing hub for auto parts.
“The CARS Program will bring
in more investments, better paying and high productivity jobs that
will lead to spill-over effects by stimulating economic activities in
related manufacturing and services. It will create employment and
require local sourcing of auto parts up to 70 percent local content,
that will develop more SMEs and generate more jobs,” said Secretary
Lopez.
Over 200,000 units are to be
produced under the program for 6 years which will require additional
manpower of 1,000 workers including direct and indirect sales and
general administration employees from Mitsubishi and Auto parts
suppliers. The program will furthermore serve as an opportunity for
technology transfer to local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)
through joint ventures and technical licensing agreements.
“This is important to enable
us to maximize the trade and investment opportunities arising from the
ASEAN Economic Community and take advantage of our growing domestic
market” said Secretary Lopez highlighting the significance of building
the domestic auto market base to attain the necessary scale economies
that would bring down costs of auto manufacturing in the country.
“The implementation of the
CARS Program signals government’s vigorous support and focus on
industries with auto as platform for manufacturing take-off,” said
Secretary Lopez.
“This will maximize the
trade and investment opportunities arising from the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC) and take advantage of our growing domestic market,” he
concluded.