RP garments losing out to 3 countries

The Philippines is slowly losing out to other low cost garment producers like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Honduras, the Garment and Textile Export Board (GTEB) disclosed yesterday.

GTEB statistics showed that from a ranking of seventh in 1995 in terms of both quantity and value, local garment exports have gradually deteriorated to number 11 last year in terms of quantity and number nine in terms of value.

The statistics, GTEB warned, indicate that local garment manufacturers "cannot afford to be complacent with competition like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Honduras which are fast gaining ground even with quotas still in place."

In 1995, Bangladesh was already ahead of the Philippines, ranking sixth in terms of quantity but a poor tenth in terms of value.

Last year, however, Bangladesh gained more ground, ranking fourth in terms of quantity and eighth in terms of value.

Honduras, for its part, ranked ninth in terms of quantity way back in 1995. But in terms of value, the Central American country did not even figure in the Top Ten ranking.

By 2001, Honduras had improved its ranking to second in terms of quantity and fourth in terms of value.

Likewise, Indonesia, from number 10 in terms of quantity and number eight in terms value way back in 1995, had improved its position to number six in terms of value last year.

Even though it retained its number 10 ranking in terms of quantity last year, Indonesia was now ahead of the Philippines which had slipped from sventh spot to number 11.