Yokoisada
(Phils.) Corporation manufacturing facilities in Clark. |
Japanese face
mask company Yokoisada to expand in the Philippines
By
DTI-Foreign Trade
Service Corps
June 26, 2020
MAKATI CITY –
Japanese company Yokoisada (Phils.) Corporation recently announced
plans to expand their Philippine operations and double their current
production capacity for face masks. They are also set to begin
manufacturing nonwoven fabric and earloop raw materials for their
masks to lessen reliance on raw materials from China. Their
operations in Clark Freeport Zone will be the main factory for the
Yokoisada group.
Yokoisada President Mr.
Yuki Yokoi shared that their decision to expand was driven by strong
support from the government during the height of the COVID-19
pandemic. As world demand for Yokosaida’s face masks during the
pandemic skyrocketed in March 2020, Yokoisada faced operational
issues including worker availability, raw material logistics, and
personnel movement due to the government’s emergency quarantine
measures. With the help of the Department of Trade and Industry, the
Board of Investments, Clark Development Corporation, and the
Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, Yokoisada managed to quickly
get their production facilities back on track to meet Philippine and
international requirements.
Mr. Yokoi also cited
successful operations in the Philippines for the past years and the
goal to contribute to Philippine society as a reason for expanding.
Yokoisada is currently applying for subsidy under the Japanese
government’s overseas supply chain diversification project.
“We appreciate Yokoisada’s
vote of confidence in the Philippine business environment. The
Philippine government stands ready to assist and facilitate their
investments in our country. This investment will plug a big hole in
our country’s current mask production supply chain, and help ensure
a more reliable supply of masks during pandemics,” Mr. Emmanuel Ang,
Commercial Counsellor in the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka,
said.
Based in Nagoya, Japan,
the parent company is a pioneer in mask manufacturing, having been
in the business for more than 60 years. Yokoisada (Phils.) started
their manufacturing operations in the Clark Freeport Zone in 2013
and was one of only two export-quality surgical face mask
manufacturers in the Philippines prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The
Philippine factory previously exported most of its production and
imported non-woven fabric raw material from overseas because there
is no local source.