Honda PH to shut down Laguna Plant in March 2020

MANILA — Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) on Saturday announced it will close its automobile production operations in Laguna next month according to VISOR Facebook page. This comes in lieu of reports to close the Honda Plant in England in 2022, putting 3,500 jobs at risk.

The Honda Factory in Sta. Rosa, “which manufactures the BR-V and City passenger cars, will halt its operations. To meet Honda’s customer needs in the Philippines for reasonably priced and good quality products, Honda considered efficient allocation and distribution of resources,” the carmaker said.

“As such, after consideration of optimization efforts in the production operations in Asia and Oceania region, Honda decided to close the manufacturing operations of HCPI.”

But HCPI assured it will continue “its automobile sales and after-sales service operation in the Philippines, through the utilization of Honda’s Asia and Oceania regional network.”

“Honda will continue providing highly attractive products to its customers in the Philippines and continue contributing to the local society, which has been an ongoing effort for the last 50 years since Honda was established in the Philippines.”

A total of 387 workers will lose their jobs in the process, but said employees will be generously compensated. “We will provide them with packages that go above and beyond what is stipulated in our collective bargaining agreement”, said the spokesperson for Honda Cars PH, Attorney Louie Soriano.

The spokesman cited the “global market slowdown” and the “shift in automotive technologies” as the main factors for the move.