| |
| Not Hopeless |
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2026 11:13 am Post subject: Philippines' Image as Investment Site |
| |
Last week, run into a news article on TI. Speaking was Bing Viera on the outlook for the country's semicon industry. Excerpts below. Not so optimistic if you ask me. But not hopeless either. We just need to do more as a country. For the full article, pls see:
http://202.124.128.11/news/provincial/2003/aug/29/29prov2.htm
Not Hopeless
| Quote: |
He said that the industry contributes about 35 percent of the country’s Gross National Product. He added that at least US$3.1 trillion had been plowed into the industry as capital investment. The sector is composed of about 800 firms employing some 335,000 workers.
However, Viera noted that despite the huge contributions of the semiconductor industry to the country’s economy, little attention is given to the maintenance of its global competitive edge.
“There is indifference to competitiveness. We would rather read about the Pidal expose or some others than mind moves to preserve the country’s competitiveness,” he said.
The erosion of the country’s competitive edge might have been a major cause in the decline of investments in the semiconductor industry. Viera said investments in this sector in 1995, amounted to US$2.1 billion. This figure drastically dived to $720 million in 2001, and picked up a little only last year to post a total investment of $270 million.
“In sharp contrast, investments in the industry in Thailand and Vietnam last year totaled $3 billion dollars,” Viera said, adding, “But the Philippines is the best location for the industry barring incidents like the Oakwood mutiny.”
He said at least five factors are contributing to the erosion not only of the industry’s competitive edge but of the other sectors as well: The country’s political instability and corruption; mounting wages; high cost of electricity; declining quality of education; and lack of support infrastructures.
But the biggest factor is the country’s unstable image and the poor peace and order conditions as perceived by investors.
“Because of incidents like the Oakwood mutiny, investments are slow in coming. Investments now in place here may even be pulled out and placed elsewhere,” he said.
Of 49 countries, the Philippines is ranked 40 in image perception. In terms of corruption, the Philippines is number 65 out of 91 countries.
Viera said at least three things must be done immediately to maintain and enhance the country’s global competitiveness: Direct efforts toward mending and enhancing the country’s image as a prime investment area; focus on cost reduction and provide competitive incentives like tax holiday; and some others... |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Guest |
|
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2026 11:46 am Post subject: |
| |
| Vietnam got $3B and we only got $270M? SOmething's really really wrong. Image issue? Honasan must answer for this. |
|
| Back to top |
|
| Corny Ko Ba |
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2026 12:02 pm Post subject: |
| |
What govt leaders should realize by now is that there will always be destabilizers around to wreak havoc each time the economy starts to take off. This is a given. So how will they invite investments inspite of this? They can’t. Itigil na nila and pananaginip.
They must develop technology inside instead. We still have a lot of techies who can help. Dapat tulungan nila yung technology start-ups just like Singapore and Malaysia. Dalasan yung tech expos. The goal is to develop local high-tech products that will sell outside the Phils. Dito ang design/manufacturing, sales sa labas. Pag ganyan, kahit ilang coup ay tuloy ang production kasi sanay na tayo sa coup. Tuloy din ang exports ng products natin.
Corny Ko Ba |
|
| Back to top |
|
| Guest |
|
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2026 2:37 pm Post subject: |
| |
CKB,
Easier said than done. What exactly do you mean with govt helping tech startups? Seed money? Tax holidays? There are plenty of these now. Still nobody starts up. Why? Because of politics. ANy new product will replace something in the market already owned by a politician. Will he allow you to kill his business? X$@# no! So why start up? |
|
| Back to top |
|
| CKB |
|
Guest
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2026 5:08 pm Post subject: |
| |
Guest,
You have a point. But we must not give up easily. Sooner or later, may lalabas dyan na produktong hindi na kayang pulitikahin. If a product is very good, foreign buyers will line up to license it. Hindi na yan mahahabol ng politics dito sa Pilipinas. So we must keep on trying. Magagaling pa rin ang pinoy.
CKB |
|
| Back to top |
|
| Choose Display Order |
|
| User Permissions |
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Skin Created by: Sigma12
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
|