Aquino: Over 35T jobs seen
He commends sector for ‘exceptional resilience’
Semiconductor exports, which account for about 72 percent of industry association’s receipts, rose from US$3.04 billion in January-february 2011 to $3.24 billion in the same period this year
President Aquino commends sector for growth, resilience amid depressing global market conditions, ‘less-than-ideal political climate in the past decade’
But he limits his interaction with Cebu political allies, snubs local press
THE global economy may be bad, coupled with the disasters that hit Japan in March last year, but the electronics industry in the country remains solid, reported President Benigno Aquino III.
According to Aquino’s statistics, direct employment in the electronics industry rose by six percent or an increase from 500,000 in 2010 to 530,000 in 2011.
The figures were confirmed by Bing Viera, chairperson of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc.
There were 35,358 new jobs in 178 companies last year in the sector. In 2010, there were already half a million engineers, operators, technicians and other workers in the sector.
President Aquino visited Cebu yesterday to address the 17th World Electronics Forum and Seipi 108th General Membership Meeting at the Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort and Spa in LapuLapu City.
With an investment of US$1 billion a year, the semiconductor and electronics industry represents about two-thirds of export receipts in the Philippines, said Viera.
Aquino said that for the first time in a decade, exportation in the Philippines dropped to 50 percent from an average of 65 percent.
Seipi has not been affected, though, said Viera.
Higher
Electronics exports for the first two months of this year were already at $4.16 billion, about 7.91 percent higher compared to the same period last year.
Exportation of semiconductors, which represent the largest chunk of the Seipi with about 72 percent, rose from $3.04 billion in January to February 2011 to $3.24 billion in the same period this year.
“Suffice it to say, our national economy is inextricably tied to the performance of your industry, whose growth and resilience has been nothing short of exceptional. This is despite the global conditions in the past couple of years, and the less-thanideal political climate over the past decade or so, which has, only now, begun to change,” said Aquino.
Aquino told over 200 business executives from more than 40 countries that educational reforms in the country are in place for Filipino manpower to be globally competitive.
“The educational reforms we are implement- ing are designed to move Filipino workers higher up the value chain. The K-12 system, set to begin this June, is a long-term solution that can address our students’ global competitiveness,” said Aquino.
The Philippine Government has also earmarked P50 million for training and workshops through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). The aim is to train about 9,295 of electronics industry workers. A memorandum of agreement was signed.
Reform
Aquino also said that his administration’s infrastructure improvement projects and reforms of the bureaucracy will eventually contribute to the growing semiconductor and electronics business.
“We are building on initiatives that will allow the Philippines to compete more strongly in the global markets. As you may well know, we are already offering competitive incentives to electronic firms registered with investment promotion agencies.”
Aquino promised constant support to the industry, whose key executives are mostly foreigners. The President said the industry is already Filipino by affinity because Filipinos have been likened to bamboos in the wind, which may bend but do not break.
“Judging by how you have stayed the course and continued to thrive, this is one value that I know you have already imbibed,” Aquino said in his keynote address.
Among the leading members of Seipi are Texas Instruments, Lexmark, Toshiba, Hitashi, Fujitsu, NEC, Mitsumi and Samsung.
Wait
The World Electronics Forum was previously hosted by USA, China, UK, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Israel and Australia, among others.
Seipi president Ernie Santiago said the organization has passed resolu- tions to improve the state of the electronics industry in the country.
On the sidelines of the event, local journalists waited for a promised press conference by the president. Two days before the visit, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) already asked reporters what questions they intended to ask, so Aquino could be briefed properly.
The president, however, called off the press conference, with the PIA saying he had another meeting to attend.
Reporters and photographers waited for another hour just in case the president would change his mind. He didn’t.
Aquino lunched with the top leaders of WEF and Seipi and left the Shangrila Hotel around 2:30 p.m.
The questions that went unanswered included: What is Malacañang doing to ensure the peaceful arrest of Dinagat Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr.? Are there projects earmarked for Cebu this year?
Lapu-lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza, who joined the reception party for the president, she did not join the luncheon meeting but they had a short talk while they were sitting on stage, waiting for Aquino’s turn to deliver his keynote speech.
Radaza said she thanked him for making Lapu-lapu City a lone district. In turn, he reportedly asked her about the City’s tourism programs and urged her to take care of visitors to the city.
Just like Radaza, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, Liberal Party (LP) provincial chairman Hilario “Junjun” Davide III and former Bogo Mayor Celestino “Tining” Martinez III did not join the luncheon meeting with Aquino.
They just waited outside Chi Spa, where Aquino met with the officers of WEF and SEIPI.
Radaza said they were just asked to receive and send off the president at the airport.