August 16 2007

PGMA leads groundbreaking ceremony of $1-B Texas Instruments facility in Clark

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga – Big-ticket investments attract other large investments. Coupled with its highly-conducive business climate, an English-speaking and productive workforce, the Philippines has become the leading investment destination in Asia.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made this statement during the groundbreaking ceremonies here this morning of Texas Instruments (TI) Philippines’ $1-billion state-of-the-art test and assembly site of semiconductor chips.

"All this make us the best value and the best place to invest in Asia," she said.

The President led the groundbreaking and capsule-laying ceremony at TI’s 32-hectare assembly site at the Creekside Road inside this
Freeport.

She was assisted by Trade Secretary Peter Favila, Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio, Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, Angeles City Mayor Francis Nepomuceno, Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) president Liberato Laus, TI Philippines president Norberto Viera, and TI vice president Kevin Ritchie.

Also present were National Power Corporation (Napocor) president Cyril del Callar, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) president Gen. Narciso Abaya, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) chairperson Lilia de Lima, US Charge d' Affairs Paul Jones, TI Asia president Larry Tan, Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, and other local officials.

Ritchie briefed the President on the various aspects of the facility which, when completed, will be one of the most environment-friendly and energy efficient assembly/test site in the world.

With an expected investment of $1 billion over 10 years, the site will incorporate a number of environmental and energy design features first used by TI at its newest semiconductor facility in the United States.

The Clark facility will perform final processing, assembly and testing of sophisticated integrated circuits to be used in a vast array of electronic products such as digital cameras, cell phones and other devices.

The construction of the TI facility will follow the standards of the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC).

Once fully operational, TI’s Clark Freeport’s facility would employ some 3,000 engineers, technicians, operators and administrators. TI employs 3,000 workers in its Baguio City facility.

"When this facility is done it will be the Philippines operations that will have the biggest number of employees in the entire Texas Instrument family," the President said.

TI Philippines has vaulted ahead of the pack of the country's top exporters, with a cumulative value of roughly $21.3 billion since 1978 when it established an electronics circuit assembly and test facility in Baguio City.

Last year, TI”s exports reached $3.5 billion.

"Now, you are our image model for demonstrating that the Philippines had become an increasingly competitive location for manufacturing and high-skilled jobs, services and the booming call center business," the President told TI officials.

In her meetings with investors both here and abroad, the President’s central message is to the effect that as a strategic investment location in the Southeast Asian region, the Philippines will attract even more investors with the ongoing development of Subic and Clark as the country's premier logistics and service hub.

Only last night, the President said she has signed an Administrative Order specifying the terms of reference of the High Level Task Force that would reengineer the country's education system to further enhance the Filipinos competitive advantage as a world-class workforce.

She said the nine-member Task Force would be composed of the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), chairman of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Presidential Assistant for Education, and five members from the academe and business sectors, among them Angeles University Foundation president Manny
Angeles.

The President said she also instructed this morning BCDA president Narciso Abaya to build an interchange at the Angeles City-Porac border to enhance the flow of traffic and logistics on the strategic Clark-Subic road.

The Chief Executive met last night with Pampanga officials who apprised her on the importance of proposed interchange.

She also said that Malacanang is working on various proposed legislations, including amendments to the Energy and Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), to open the energy sector to competition and hasten the reduction of power rates, and attract more investments.

Big-ticket investments in the Philippines, like TI’s $1-billion expansion project, only show that “we are a good business environment getting even better," she added.

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Gov't destroys P30 million worth of smuggled vehicles

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Zambales--Eighteen smuggled vehicles – seven of them luxury cars – valued at P30 million were crushed to pieces here today in a highly symbolic demonstration of the government’s determination to stamp out smuggling in the country.

Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) supervised the destruction of the confiscated vehicles at the Naval Supply Depot here.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was scheduled to arrive here this morning to witness the destruction of the smuggled vehicles, but was forced to cancel her trip when a backup presidential chopper developed technical problems.

The Chief Executive had flatly rejected proposals to sell the vehicles to raise taxes for the government, saying the same people behind the smuggling were likely to win if the luxury cars were auctioned.

“Let these 18 motor vehicles serve as an example to the Filipino people that we are serious in addressing the smuggling issue,” Teves said.

Three backhoes and one forklift were used to smash the vehicles.

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, SBMA Anti-Smuggling Task Force chief Jose Calimlim, PASG chief Undersecretary Antonio Villar, and SBMA officials and employees also witnessed the destruction of the vehicles.

Destroyed were a Lincoln Navigator, four BMW X5 series, a BMW z35i (7 series), Star Craft van, Mitsubishi Pajero junior, Mitsubishi GTO sports car, two Hyundai Grandeur, two Toyota Estima, four Toyota Emina, and a Nissan Serena.

In a press briefing before the vehicles were crushed, Teves said that the SBMA customs district collector had placed the value of the vehicles at P30 million, and taxes due the government at about P10 million.

He explained that although the government was forfeiting revenues by destroying the vehicles, it would still come out the winner since the domestic car manufacturing industry, which pays taxes to the government regularly, would clearly benefit from the crackdown on smuggling.

Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) chairman Jesus Arranza, meanwhile, assured the President that FPI fully supports the government campaign against smuggling.

Arranza stressed that the federation is really after the destruction of all vehicles brought into the country illegally.

Also earlier, fomer Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno expressed support for the crushing of the luxury cars, saying that based on experience smugglers eventually end up getting the vehicles when they are auctioned.

“Let’s try destroying the cars for a change," he said.

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PGMA releases P100 million to PGH for modern equipment

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo released today additional P100 million for the University of the Philippines System’s Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) after it reported to her on how it spent its P100-million rehab fund she gave to the PGH last year.

The President listened to the report at the Malacanang’s Rizal Ceremonial Hall which the palace opened to the PGH contingent complete with refreshments.

Gratified with the report, President Arroyo – pretty in a green monochromatic pants and dressy barong ensemble -- gave the hospital another P50 million, waving the check to the UP-PGH crowd, as she committed P50 million more from the operations of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

In her speech, the President stressed that as the PGH celebrates its hundredth year, “what better way than to endow it with P100 million – P1 million for every year if service – as our way of saying a hundred million thanks to you…”

The President then held the P50-million check up, as she promised P50 million more for the continuing modernization of the hospital’s equipment so that indigent patients could acquire a new lease on life, saying that health “should not be a game of chance.”

The President said her giving P100 million to the UP-PGH is a “budgetary contagion that will spread to other hospitals” as she reiterated the replication of heart, lung and kidney centers in the regions.

Recalling that UP-PGH director Carmelo Alfiler is an expert nephrologist who had treated her eldest son, (Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel) Mikey (Arroyo), over five years as a boy from age 12 to 17, the President said all her initiatives will make sure that “all Mikes out there, not just my (FG Jose Miguel) Mike (Arroyo) and Mikey,” will be able to avail of quality health care.

In his report to the President, Dr. Alfiler said that of the P100 million which was released last year on June 2006, some P84 million was used for the modernization and purchase of medical equipment and a health van.

The P84-million equipment consists of the following:

 one lot of two multi-slice CT scans worth P54.95 million for faster and better-quality imaging translated to more accurate diagnosis of diseases of the whole body and specific organs (heart, kidney, bone, etc.);

 one unit of a dual-head gamma camera worth P21.9 million for more comprehensive nuclear imaging services for diseases of the heart, kidney, bone and other body parts at affordable costs;

 one color Doppler ultrasound costing P2.998 million for evaluating normal organs and blood-vessel status (blood supply from a mother to the placenta and to the fetus, kidney and liver vasculature);

 one unit mobile health van worth P2,538,912 and fitted with various diagnostic/emergency equipment for expanding health services for the poor in the national capital region; and

 Health Promotion Unit (Klinika ng Kalusugan) set of instruments costing P221,932.

The remaining P16 million, on the other hand, was spent by the UP-PGH on the renovation of one of the hospital’s Pay Blocks that could accommodate 500 patients.

The PGH thanked the President for the said amount and for her declaration of the month of August as the Philippine General Hospital Centennial Month via Presidential Proclamation no. 1266.

Alfiler also thanked the First Gentleman’s foundation for his support of UP-PGH projects on cancer, stroke and other diseases.

UP System President Dr. Emerlinda Roman, who delivered the opening remarks, had also acknowledged the First Gentleman’s help to the UP-PGH, thus: “I also wish to acknowledge the First Gentleman who, in his own and quiet way, has supported many projects in PGH – providing not just financial support and scholarships, but leadership in advocacy projects that now benefit charity patients in PGH.”

Roman had quoted a former PGH director (Napoleon Apolinario) as saying that the PGH actually stood for “Pagod, Gutom at Hirap, conditions that would have easily driven away the fearful and the weak.”

“But the brave and the strong have remained and have committed themselves wholeheartedly to PGH which they translate into Passion, Generosity and Honesty… The fact that this ceremony is graced by your presence, Madame President, is for us ample proof of your support of PGH and its mission, not that such proof is needed, since you have actually demonstrated your concern and commitment in countless ways,” Roman intoned.

Roman then thanked the President for “this generous gesture which will serve as superb morale booster, not just for Philippine General Hospital, but for the University of the Philippines as a whole.”

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16 AUGUST 2007