Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr on his 5th SONA. Photo courtesy of PCO.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday the government would support efforts to develop electric vehicles made entirely in the Philippines, including e-tricycles and eventually electric jeepneys.
Marcos made the commitment during a visit to MD Juan Enterprises Inc. in Caloocan City, a Filipino manufacturer known for producing machine-pressed metal parts for military and civilian jeeps.
He said the government was assessing what additional equipment and technology the company would need to expand into local EV production.
The Department of Science and Technology and other agencies are expected to provide technical assistance, with Marcos saying locally built electric vehicles could help reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum said MD Juan had previously produced electric tricycles in 2013 and 2014 but stopped because demand at the time was limited.
Solidum said interest in EVs has since increased as fuel prices rose, although the local supply of domestically produced electric vehicles remains limited.
The DOST is also working with universities on EV technologies and charging infrastructure, including conventional and solar-powered chargers, battery-swapping systems, electric tricycles and other electric transport projects.
The initiative comes after Marcos approved a Php 60 billion incentive package in July to attract EV manufacturers and encourage local production, with fiscal support of up to Php 15 billion available for each qualified vehicle model.
