Taiwan firm breaks ground for P1.2-B metal plant in Subic

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT – Taiwan Minister of Economic Affairs Mei-Yueh Ho led yesterday the groundbreaking ceremony for the P1.2-billion Taiwan Pao An (TPA) Metals and Machinery Subic Bay Co. Inc.at the Subic Bay Industrial Park (SBIP).

"The presence of TPA in the Freeport will add to the growing number of Taiwanese manufacturing firms located here. These Taiwanese manufacturing firms contribute up to 35 percent of the Freeport’s export value," Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Alfredo C. Antonio told The STAR in an interview.

A subsidiary of Taiwan Pao-An Co., Ltd., TPA will be producing barbecue grills, cylinder valves, hardware machines and other gas related products as part of the company’s expansion program is in the Philippines.

Its mother company, Taiwan Pao-An Industrial Co., which was founded in 1970, is a leading producer of gas-related products. In a span of over 34 years, the group has grown into four separate companies. By year 2001, all TPA companies received ISO 9001 certification, assuring quality customer service.

In a press statement, Victor Lin, president of TPA, said raw materials and other supplies will be coming from China, Korea and Taiwan, while a portion will be coming from local sources. All the products will be exported initially to Europe and the United States.

TPA projects to earn a net income of P23.2 million during its second year of operations with sales of P252 million.

Also present during the groundbreaking ceremony were head of the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) Ambassador Hsin-Hsing Wu and Presidential Assistant for Northern Luzon Development Renato Diaz who witnessed the contract signing of the $25.8-million investments of three companies to set up plants in SBIP.

Among the other lease agreements signed with TPA were special organic-liquid bio-fertilizer producer Coin Chemical Industrial Co., Ltd., and veneer manufacturer Wood Center of Asia Inc. (WCAI) that would generate a total of about 2,000 jobs.

Last November, TPA signed a long-term lease agreement of 50 years for the setting up of its manufacturing plant in a 73,841.19-sq.m. lot at the Subic Bay Industrial Park (SBIP) and projected to hire up to around 2,000 skilled Filipino workers.

SBMA officials including Antonio and chairman Francisco H. Licuanan III, SBDMC officials, as well as provincial and local officials from Zambales and Bataan were on hand to witness the occasion.