MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is pushing for enhanced measures and incentives that will benefit the e-mobility industry to lure more investors and create more jobs.
Initiatives to sustain and develop the country’s e-mobility industry through science, technology and innovation were tackled during a sectoral meeting led by Marcos at Malacañang.
“We’re always running into the same problem – it’s the scaling. Production design. Then the investment. How do we (attract investments)... That’s the hardest part,” the President said.
“Of course we’ll provide incentives from the government. That’s what we need to do. We need incentives for investors to come in. Hopefully, local, but we’ll take anybody who’s interested. But then they will have to undertake the production design to scale it up to a level to actually make a difference to the market,” he added.
Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said potential investors, manufacturers and fabricators are awaiting the policy statement of the government.
Solidum added that the e-mobility industry would generate more jobs on maintenance, after-sales service and other services.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the Department of Trade and Industry is crafting a strategic roadmap under the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act to come up with policies and possible incentives to support e-vehicles.
“Another initiative is by working with locally owned ToJo Motors to figure out the necessary policies to make it conducive for locally manufactured e-vehicle, specifically e-trikes and e-jeepneys to operate in the Philippines,” the PCO added.
There are 25,196 registered e-vehicles, 705 e-vehicle charging stations and 92 accredited charging station providers in the Philippines as of Oct. 18. The providers created 10,407 new jobs and some P1.99 billion in investments.
Solidum said e-trikes would soon be mass-produced in Isabela.
Many customers are waiting for electric trikes, which have drawn interest among officials in General Santos City and tricycle operators, he added.
Local agri-machinery manufacturers, the science chief said, could help fast-track e-trike production.
The science department is implementing an e-mobility program map, which covers the conversion of conventional tricycles and buses into electric vehicles.