Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the government aims to ensure that products bearing the label ‘Made in the Philippines’ stand as symbols of quality, innovation and sustainability.
Pascual made the statement at the Tatak Pinoy Act Forum on July 15. The forum, themed “Tatak Pinoy Act: In Pursuit of Economic Complexity and Globally Competitive Industries,” convened influential leaders across industries to advance the implementation of Republic Act No. 1198, the Tatak Pinoy Act and unlock its potential in revitalizing the Philippine economy.
“With this, we at the DTI remain at the forefront of our mission to elevate enterprises and entrepreneurs. As part of the DTI’s mission of Angat Negosyo, we develop local industries by promoting and supporting enterprises to build a solid domestic market base and eventually expand into the export market,” Pascual said.
The DTI, as the implementing agency of the landmark act, designed a comprehensive industrial strategy under the banner, “ANGAT Negosyo.”
The strategic approach encompasses fostering a vibrant start-up ecosystem, empowering established businesses to enhance their competitiveness, and strategically targeting key sectors for growth.
Central to the growth strategy is the semiconductor and electronics sector, which accounts for 62 percent of the country’s exports.
The DTI aims to propel the industry from basic assembly and testing into higher-value activities such as integrated circuit design, research and development, and electronics manufacturing services. This strategic shift is underscored by recent investments from industry giants like Dyson and Samsung.
The DTI said that in addition to its strong manufacturing base, the Philippines has established itself as a hub for aerospace innovation.
The growth is evident in the presence of industry leaders such as Collins Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik, and Singapore Airlines Engineering.
Capitalizing on this foundation, the Tatak Pinoy initiative aims to leverage the Philippines’ skilled workforce, cost-competitive business environment and investments in defense and airport infrastructure to attract further investments in the aerospace sector.
Beyond aerospace, the Philippines also sets its sights on the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) market.
The government’s strategy encompasses the entire EV ecosystem, from green metals mining and processing to battery production, EV assembly, and charging infrastructure.
The DTI said the Philippines seeks to become a central hub for automotive electronics manufacturing, leveraging the country’s electronics expertise.
The Philippines is also expanding beyond manufacturing and hardware, with a flourishing Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) sector set for growth.
Through the Tatak Pinoy Act, the DTI seeks to upgrade the IT-BPM sector towards higher-value services like engineering service outsourcing, software development, AI and data science, and game development.
The DTI also nurtures a dynamic creative economy, targeting for the Philippines to be Asia’s top creative hub by 2030.
