The passage of the CHIPS Act of the United States paved the way to recognize the Philippines as a critical player in the global semiconductor assembly and test manufacturing. This good news to the Filipino business community was shared by the US-based Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) President and CEO John Neuffer and VP for Global for Policy Jimmy Goodrich, during their courtesy call to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and concurrent Bureau of Industry (BOI) head Ceferino Rodolfo.
The SIA represents 99 percent of the US semiconductor industry by revenue and two-thirds of non-US chip firms. There are many SIA’s member companies have investments in the Philippines like the Analog Devices, Onsemi, and Texas Instruments, among others.
The BOI reported that there are several segments in the semiconductor supply chain such as assembly, testing, and packaging which are most cost-effectively conducted outside of the US such as the Philippines. If only for this, Rodolfo has expressed appreciation for SIA’s confidence in the Philippines’s investment prospects and for making the country as one of the US key partners. This has enhanced the local capacities and competencies in semiconductor supply deepened the country’s role in the global semiconductor supply chain and be able to support US companies in it endeavors under the CHIPS Act.
Usec Rodolfo was quoted saying “we look forward to working more closely with SIA and the US government to see more collaborations in R & D and manufacturing semiconductors.”
Other Philippine agencies like the Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology R & D as well as the UP Diliman Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute have presented their respective programs related to semiconductors.
MY COMMENT:
The recognition by the SIA, a US-based company, in the Philippines as a critical player in global semiconductor industry, is also a direct acceptance of the R & D capabilities of the Filipinos in the field of information technology (I.T.). The country’s export of semiconductor chips, and related products help in the financial recovery effort of the Philippines.
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