Dutch electronics manufacturer bullish on PH operations

By Othel V. Campos

DUTCH company Ampleon, the world’s third biggest manufacturer of safety radios and navigation equipment, expressed confidence on its continuing operations in the Philippines.

Ampleon chief executive Vincent Gerritsma met with Trade Undersecretary and Board of Investments managing head Ceferino Rodolfo discussed the company’s local operations during the Department of Trade and Industry’s two-week Europe Investment Roadshow last month.

Gerritsma said among the key con- siderations for their decision to do business in the Philippines are the availability of young, skilled and highly trainable talent, competitive labor cost in the ASEAN region and geopolitical stability.

Ampleon provided invaluable insights on how to strengthen the incentives regime and how the Philippines could become more competitive in the electronics and semiconductor industries.

Its wholly-owned unit in Cabuyao, Laguna is the second strategic facility next to the mother unit based in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It operates similar manufacturing plants in Europe, the US and China.

The company’s Cabuyao plant is 100-percent powered by renewable energy and has been operating since 2016. It is considered Ampleon’s second most important site globally as it employs around 1,100 skilled workers, their biggest hub in terms of manpower. Ampleon has been designing and manufacturing RF power products for over 50 years. Its innovative portfolio offers products and solutions for 4G LTE and 5G NR infrastructure, industrial, scientific, medical, broadcast, navigation and safety radio applications.

Pse Index Closing

Friday, August 4, 2023

-125.92 PTS.

6,450.84

F oreign e xchange r ate Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas • FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023

Currency UnitUS DollarPeso United States Dollar 1.00000055.3880

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WESM, the trading floor of electricity, posted a decline in prices in the first half of July by P0.60 per kilowatthour in the Luzon and Visayas grids, according to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.

WESM operator IEMOP attributed the lower spot market prices to reduced demand during the period as a result of the rainy season and tropical depression Dodong.

This will be the second consecutive month of lower electricity prices after Meralco reported a reduction of P0.7213 per kWh in July on lower cost of generation from the company’s suppliers.

“The quarterly repricing of Malampaya will also reflect the lower crude prices over the past six months. The peso appreciation, which affects suppliers’ costs that are mostly dollar denominated, will also help further pull down the generation charge,” Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco’s overall rate for a typical household amounted to P11.1899 per kWh in July and P11.9112 per kWh in June.

By Jenniffer

B. Austria

JOLLIBEE Foods Corp. said Friday it is bringing Singaporen food and beverage brands Tiong Bahru Bakery and Common Man Coffee Roasters to the Philippines via a P250-million joint venture partnership. JFC and Food Collective Pte. Ltd. formed a 60:40 joint venture company that will own and operate the two F&B brands in the country.

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