MEDTECS plans $1.9-B industrial town in Bataan (Sabong News)

Taiwanese-headquartered Medtecs International Corporation has revealed plans of expanding its face mask production in the country by developing an industrial town with projected foreign direct investments of $1.9 billion, approximately P99 billion, that would address gaps in the Philippine textile supply chain and as hub for electric vehicle manufacturers. Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino S. Rodolfo, who is also managing head of the Board of Investments (BOI), said the project proposal was revealed by Medtecs Chairman Clement Yang during their recent meeting. Medtecs is an existing manufacturer of critical filter medium used in medical-grade face masks in the country. Rodolfo said that Yang envisioned the industrial town in Mariveles City, Bataan to generate approximately $1.9 billion foreign direct investments (FDIs) and around 125,000 jobs in seven years. The planned industrial town, Rodolfo said, would include production facilities for e-mobility/ electric vehicles (EVs), personal protective equipment (PPE), and integrated textile manufacturing (using tropical fibers, particularly abaca, bamboo, and banana), among others. Yang also mentioned that its production of nitrile gloves in Cambodia can likewise be done in the Philippines as part of the planned PPE hub. Medtecs is especially keen in bringing in the missing gaps in the country’s textile supply chain such as yarn production, spinning, weaving, including the production of recycled polyester textile (mix of polyester with recycled materials from post-consumer bottles). The chairman also informed Rodolfo during the meeting that Medtecs has commenced production of melt-blown non-woven fabric/material – the critical filter medium used in medical-grade face masks. With a project cost of around $600,000 and a total manpower requirement of around 15 employees, the project has a production capacity of 25 million face masks per month. The project is registered with the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan and is located at the Medtecs Compound in Mariveles City, Bataan. Rodolfo noted that the planned business activities of Medtecs are all listed in the Strategic Investment Priority Plan and are eligible for incentives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, including the processing of green metals such as nickel for EV batteries. The Undersecretary underscored that highly desirable projects with minimum investment capital of P50 billion or at least 10,000 job generation may avail of incentives of up to 40 years. He also offered to introduce Medtecs to relevant local players in EV assembly/production and nickel mining companies, as well as to arrange for a presentation featuring the New Clark City (NCC), including site visits in Capas and Bamban, Tarlac. On Chairman Yang’s concern regarding available human resources, Rodolfo said that the BOI has an existing partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), thru a Memorandum of Understanding that can serve as a mechanism for industry-academe collaboration. The BOI is also currently assisting two Taiwanese electronics companies based in the Philippines in their search for human resources, through the BOI’s Academe Industry Matching Program, offering the same for Medtecs to match its needs with the universities and colleges.