Buying Filipino creates jobs

Last weekend, I wrote a column that the Philippine economy is facing a very serious threat of stagflation. This means that economic growth has stagnated while at the same time, there are inflationary pressures or rising prices. The Filipino, therefore, now has difficulty finding jobs while at the same time consumer prices are going up.

One of the sectors that has been negatively affected is the manufacturing sector, which is a significant source of employment in the Philippine economy. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), manufacturing employed approximately 3.5 million Filipinos in March 2026, representing roughly seven percent of the country’s total employed population.

The August 2026 labor force survey by the PSA reported that manufacturing employment had fallen by 350,000 compared with August 2025 figures. This is a very serious matter that the government and the business sector should immediately address.

The importance of manufacturing goes beyond the number of people directly employed. This vital sector also creates jobs for skilled, semi-skilled and less skilled workers; generates demand for raw materials, agricultural products, packaging, transport and logistics; develops technical skills and industrial capabilities; adds value to Philippine products rather than relying primarily on exporting raw materials and creates opportunities for small and medium-size enterprises in the supply chain.

If Filipinos bought more products made in the Philippines, they would help stimulate domestic manufacturing, encourage local businesses to expand and create employment opportunities throughout the economy. This is actually a very simple and straightforward process.

1. Buying Filipino products creates Filipino jobs.

2. If Filipino consumers lead to an increase demand for Philippine products, manufacturers will obviously increase production.

3. This means that in order to meet additional demands, companies will need to operate factories for longer hours, purchase more raw materials, invest in additional machinery and equipment, open new production lines and establish additional manufacturing facilities.

4. Increased demand for Philippine-made products will therefore lead to more workers being hired. Obviously, expanding production will lead to additional employment. This may seem very obvious but it needs to be pointed out.

5. The employment of more people will actually spread beyond the factory. Manufacturing creates demands for workers in other sectors, including agriculture, transportation, packaging, retail, logistics and other services. For example, when a Filipino food manufacturer increases production of canned fruit, it would need more fruits from local farmers, more workers in his processing plant, more packaging materials from local suppliers and more truck drivers to transport the finished products.

6. Small and medium-size enterprises also will benefit enormously. Many Filipino manufacturers are actually small enterprises. The PSA 2022 annual survey of Philippine Business and Industry counted 23,571 formal manufacturing establishments, employing approximately 1.2 million workers. For these businesses, increased local demand can mean the difference between keeping existing workers or laying them off; maintaining production or reducing operations; expanding their businesses or remaining stagnant and hiring additional workers or relying on a small workforce.  Supporting Filipino-made products is therefore also a way of supporting Filipino entrepreneurs and the people whose livelihoods depend on them.

What happens when Filipinos make a conscious decision to buy products made in the Philippines? The consequences extend far beyond the simple act of purchasing. Every peso spent on a locally manufactured product can help sustain a chain of economic activities that ultimately creates jobs and livelihoods for Filipinos.

The Filipino consumer therefore is not simply a passive participant in deciding which businesses grow, which industries expand and where economic opportunities are created.

The Philippines cannot depend on foreign investments and exports alone to generate employment. It must also develop its own domestic market with Filipino consumers playing an important role in supporting Filipino producers and manufacturers.

The purchasing power of the Filipino consumer can become one of the country’s most important instruments for creating Filipino jobs.

There have been previous campaigns by previous administrations to buy Filipino. None of them has ever been a success. The government must do more than just tell Filipinos to buy locally made products. The government must help ensure that what they are buying is worth buying.

There have been BUY FILIPINO initiatives but these have not been sustained as a continuous national movement. A campaign that lasts a few months cannot change consumer habits built over generations.

For most Filipino households, affordability comes first. If an imported product is cheaper than its Philippine-made equivalent, the consumer will understandably prefer the imported alternative.

Consumers want products that are reliable, well designed, safe and durable. Patriotism cannot compensate for poor quality or inconsistent supply. There is also the problem of visibility and distribution. Many Philippine products are simply not visible in supermarkets, shopping malls and online market places. Consumers cannot buy what they cannot easily find.

There must be a sustained national campaign to make buying Filipino a consistent message. In my next column, I hope to include some suggestions on how to launch a successful Buy Filipino campaign.

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