MANILA, Philippines – The electronics industry will likely grow by a slower eight percent this year due to the impact of the twin disasters in Japan, the Semiconductors and Electronics Industry of the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI) said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the group’s general membership meeting, SEIPI president Ernesto Santiago said they will be able to hit only the lower half of their export target because of the continued abnormal operations in some Japanese firms.
Before the earthquake and the tsunami, struck Japan, SEIPI was expecting a growth range of eight to 12 percent this year. Electronics is the biggest export product of the Philippines.
Santiago said while the first quarter export figures were hardly affected, the impact will be felt in the second quarter. “Definitely there will be a slowdown because there was a disruption in supply.”
The supply issue, Santiago said, may lead to higher costs for manufacturers.
“The long term effect is difficult to quantify because this is more severe than the other disasters,” Santiago said. “The situation is volatile right now so most companies would not like to disclose the real score.”
He said electronic firms are now considering other sources of raw materials like China, although he pointed out that some parts are available only in Japan.
He explained that the Japanese are very nationalistic and thus would like to keep their production in their own country. Likewise, there are some specialized parts that are only produced in Japan in order to protect trade secrets.
Earlier, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis said they will reach their export targets in spite of the work disruption in Japan and the crisis in the Middle East.
“We still have a buffer because we grew by 25 percent last January,” he explained. For the first quarter, they expect export growth to be at about 20 percent because these businesses were not affected yet, adding that they expect only second quarter figures to suffer. –Ma. Elisa P. Osorio (The Philippine Star)
September 18 –
International Equal Pay Day
“Increase wages now,
more than other cost items.
For widespread, practical equality!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
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against serious violations of protocols of
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Accept the National Unity Government (NUG)
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September –
5 Sept – Intl Day of Charity
7 Sept – Intl Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies
8 Sept – International Literacy Day
12 Sept – United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation
15 Sept – International Day of Democracy
16 Sept – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
17 Sept – World Patient Safety Day
18 Sept – International Equal Pay Day
21 Sept – International Day of Peace
26 Sept – International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
27 Sept – World Tourism Day
28 Sept – International Day for Universal Access to Information
29 Sept – International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
30 Sept – World Maritime Day
Monthly Observances:
Health, Safety and Sanitation Month
National Clean-up Month
Civil Service Month
National Peace Consciousness Month
Social Security Month
Rule of Law Month
National Teachers’ Month (Sept 5-Oct 4)
Weekly Observances:
Sept 17 – 23:
World Clean and Green Week
Week 2: Education Week
Week 4: Medicine Week
Last Week: National Family Week
Daily Observances:
Third Saturday:
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Third Monday: World Health Day
Last Friday: National Maritime Day
Sept 8: National Literacy Day
Sept 15: Philippine Medicine Day
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