More EVs made in the Philippines

It is great to have everyone here. I think the format of these talks is particularly useful because we can step away from the usual formal meetings and simply have a good, open conversation about what these policies mean in practice.

Today, we are talking about Executive Order No. 121 and the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy, or EVIS, which aims to support local manufacturing of electric vehicles and their parts and components.

But rather than spending our time discussing the technical details of the policy, I think there is a much more interesting question: what does this actually mean for the Filipino?

If I am a driver, a commuter, a business owner, a fleet operator or a potential EV buyer, what will I see and experience differently? Will there be more affordable EVs? More choices? Better financing? More parts and services?

These are the kinds of questions we want to hear today. And importantly, we want to hear them not only from government and industry, but from the people who will actually use, finance, operate and service these vehicles.

From UNIDO’s perspective, there is also a bigger opportunity here. EVIS is not only about electric vehicles. It is also about industrial transformation.

The shift to electric mobility gives the Philippines an opportunity to build new capabilities and to create opportunities for Filipino businesses and workers.

For us at UNIDO, this is what makes the transition particularly important: how do we make sure that the industries of the future are also industries that the Philippines can build and benefit from?

Of course, EVIS is only one part of the picture. There are still questions around affordability, financing, charging, skills, after-sales services and consumer confidence.

That is why today’s conversation is important.

So, I encourage everyone to be open and practical. Tell us what you need, what concerns you and what would actually make you consider buying, using or recommending a locally produced EV.

And perhaps, as we look a few years ahead, we can ask ourselves one simple question: if EVIS works, what should we actually be able to see?

More Filipino-made EVs? More jobs? More local suppliers? Better services? More choices for consumers?

Hopefully, today’s discussion can help us move from the policy itself to what success should actually look like on the ground.