The Philippines is luring aircraft giant Boeing to set up in the country its Southeast Asian hub for the manufacture of parts and components, according to Trade Undersecretary Cristino L. Panlilio.
This was one of the results of Panlilio’s recent trip to the United States covering Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Panlilio said other areas of interest generated during his US trip are in electronics, business process outsourcing, oil trading and agriculture.
"We met Boeing (in Seattle) because we want to get their parts suppliers to invest here. We are tapping manufacturers and assemblers of aircraft components," Panlilio said.
The Philippines already hosts three major aircraft component manufacturers, one of which is Moog Controls Corp., manufacturer and integrator of precision motion control products and system for aircraft.
"Many of our electronic products are for aviation. We have the capability. We are helping to grow that business for more exports to America. We are talking to those who are expanding their business here and the new suppliers such as for the manufacture of electronics instrumentation parts of airplanes," Panlilio said.
He added: "We want to get a shortlist of their Asian parts and components suppliers. It’s the suppliers that we are inviting to come over to set up shop here in the hope that they will be able to reduce their costs and in the end Boeing benefits."
Panlilio said Boeing was thinking of Southeast Asian locations that also include Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore and the Philippines for its suppliers.
A British company is manufacturing is galley fixtures also in the Philippines.
Panlilio said as 60 percent of the Philippines’ exports are electronics, many of which are for the instrumentation of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
Panlilio said the government is also talking to Airbus for it to organize inbound missions for its Asian suppliers.
"We are working on that (Airbus) now and we are working on Boeing too. There are probably 100,000 parts in a Boeing plane, from switches, wire harness motors," Panlilio said.
As for the other interests, Panlilio said two big companies in the electronics sector are eyeing to locate their facilities in Luzon and Cebu.
While in the US, Panlilio also met with officials of medical healthcare and insurance services firms some of which are operating here.
Panlilio also met up with a trading company which is very interested in importing several products used for the oil drilling industry. The firm is also into the trading of non-metallic minerals, lubricants and oleo-lubricants coming from plants.
In agriculture, Panlilio said, Washington State University is interested to improve the production of La Trinidad and Benguet province farms.
"They are working on growing strawberries all year round, which is seasonal, only five to six months. They are trying to study even in rainy season we are trying to tie them up with commercial corporations that are into fruits processing like Del Monte and Dole and transform that academic effort into a profit-oriented venture so that it becomes sustainable as a business endeavor or activity," he said.
The other project, he said, involves the improvement of the country’s marshlands and mangroves to make marine production even more bountiful.
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