Toshiba head presents ‘Human Smart Community’ vision

MANILA, Philippines - Toshiba Corp. announced through its president and CEO Hisao Tanaka, its vision to create an ideal Human Smart Community, where people live in peace, safety and comfort, at a private reception held on the final day of World Economic Forum on East Asia (WEFEA) at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel last May 23.

Toshiba’s vision is backed by a technology called “lifenology,” the technology and solutions that make peoples’ lives more peaceful, safer and more comfortable through infrastructure development and provision of innovative digital products.

Tanaka, who has headed the company since June 2013, said, “I spent a total of 15 years working overseas and I had the pleasure of living here in the Philippines for four years. I was responsible for the start-up of our manufacturing facility in Laguna which is still going strong. I can still remember the opening ceremony way back in 1997 which was attended by then Philippine President Fidel Ramos. I am very happy to be back in the Philippines once again.”

Tanaka introduced the company’s extensive solutions, including infrastructure solutions, and shared that among its global turnover of approximately $65 billion, the infrastructure segment accounts for 55 percent, whereas consumer products like flat panel TVs and notebook PCs account for only 20 percent.

Toshiba’s infrastructure contribution in the Philippines started from the Agus 6 hydropower project in 1965, and also includes coal-powered and geothermal power generation solutions, power transmission and distribution equipment for substations.

Tanaka also highlighted that the Philippines is an important base for the Toshiba group as it currently employs over 8,000 people in the country, the largest among its 20,000 personnel in Southeast Asia. 

Toshiba Information Equipment Philippines in Laguna has shipped over 400 million hard disk drives globally and accounts for 10 percent of all electronic devices exported from the Philippines.

Toshiba is also active in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in the Philippines. Toshiba employees quickly responded to donate relief goods to nine areas in the Visayas affected by the wrath of Typhoon Yolanda, and have been partnering with Ayala Foundation Inc. in the education field by donating notebook PCs and flat panel TVs to schools.

In Southeast Asia, Toshiba provides diverse systems and products that deliver real-world solutions through its 80 affiliates. Toshiba’s recent community infrastructure developments include Bangkok’s Purple Line Railway PJ and Intelligent Transport Systems for Vietnam’s North-South Expressway. It also has radar technologies to detect heavy rains for natural disaster prevention and early evacuation in affected areas. Healthcare also fulfills its vision of creating new diagnostic equipment for the early detection and prevention of diseases.

 A recent opinion poll of 2,000 people in Southeast Asian countries found that 60 percent considered Japan to be the most important partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and 79 percent expected Japan’s cooperation with ASEAN in the science and technology field.

“Toshiba wants to meet these expectations by providing solutions that make peoples’ lives more peaceful, safer and more comfortable through infrastructure development as well as by providing innovative digital products,” Tanaka said.