“Mas mababang gastos sa gasolina, mas malaki ang maiuuwi sa ating mga pamilya.”
That is what President Marcos said during a visit to the manufacturing and assembly plant of Sazgar Philippines Inc. in Biñan, Laguna last Thursday, October 29.
Sazgar Philippines, which is 60% Filipino-owned, operates the company’s first manufacturing facility outside Pakistan.
Its local facility in Barangay Mamplasan manufactures and assembles three-wheeled vehicles, including electric models, as part of efforts to expand domestic manufacturing and provide alternative transportation options.
Furthermore, the plant is also envisioned as its manufacturing hub for Southeast Asia.
The President noted that Sazgar’s electric three-wheelers can travel 100 to 210 kilometers on a single charge and can potentially cover tricycle drivers’ daily routes in both urban and provincial areas—with trikes typically traveling about 90 kilometers a day in urban areas and 110 to 120 kilometers in the provinces.
The electric models take six to eight hours to fully charge.
The President also noted that the shift to electric tricycles could help drivers reduce their dependence on gasoline, allowing them to retain more of their earnings to support their families.
He also cited that it can support the transition to cleaner transportation, where it aims to have a 50% electric vehicle share in the country’s vehicle fleet by 2040 under its comprehensive roadmap for the electric vehicle industry.
Thus, President Marcos said the investment could generate jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing and create opportunities for Filipino suppliers of vehicle parts and components.
President Marcos has also urged the company to source more components from local manufacturers to expand opportunities for Filipino businesses and workers.
EVIS PROGRAM
After placing the emphasis on speeding up the use of electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the government’s clean energy program to help build a greener and more sustainable future during his fifth State of the Nation Address, last July 29, President Marcos signed Executive Order (EO) No. 121.
The said directive establishes the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) Program, which provides fiscal incentives for local manufacturers of hybrid and battery electric passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and their parts and components.
This program also aims to expand domestic EV production, create quality jobs, reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, and position the Philippines as a regional automotive manufacturing hub.
“The EVIS Program shall provide time-bound, targeted, performance-based, and transparent fiscal support to encourage strategic investments in domestic EV manufacturing,” the order read.
According to the EO, the qualified manufacturers may register up to two EV models and receive two types of incentives: the Fixed Investment Support (FIS) to help establish or expand manufacturing facilities, and Production Volume Incentives (PVI) to encourage local production.
The EVIS Program also has a maximum incentive ceiling of PHP60 billion, with up to PHP15 billion available for each enrolled EV model, subject to the annual budget process.
