Tereso O. Panga, director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), has strongly urged Japanese manufacturing companies to establish a solid footprint in the country by bringing in their supply chain.
Panga emphasized this during his recent meeting with the top officers of Keizai Doyukai (The Japan Association of Corporate Executives), a prestigious professional organization composed of independent senior executives from various industries in Japan. The meeting focused on strengthening economic cooperation between the Philippines and Japan, particularly in workforce development and supply chain expansion.
“We are targeting the new investors from Japan to look at the Philippines as their next investment destination. In the same manner, we are enticing current Japanese companies in expanding their solid footprint in the country by bringing in their supply chain. The Philippines is in the sweet spot to host these investments with all the positive advantages we presented,” said Panga.
Aside from manufacturing supply chain, the Philippines is also actively working on developing a “supply chain of people,” focusing on long-term sustainable workforce development.
This involves fostering industry partnerships to ensure that Filipino workers acquire the necessary technical skills required by Japanese industries, leading to mutual economic benefits for both countries.
One of the key proposals from the Philippine side was to enhance labor mobility by allowing Filipinos to work in Japan under more flexible arrangements. This aligns with ongoing discussions in the Japanese Legislature, which is currently considering relaxing certain requirements for foreign workers to address labor shortages in critical sectors.
A significant aspect of the discussion was skills-job matching between Japan and the Philippines. Japanese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have identified agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing engineering as priority sectors where Filipino workers could help fill labor gaps and contribute to industry growth.
