The House Committee on Trade and Industry on Monday, May 24 approved the draft bill on the proposed law that seeks to strengthen the competitiveness of the Philippine motor vehicle manufacturing industry.

The panel particularly approved the draft bill on House Bill No. 1833 or the proposed “Philippine Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Industry Act,” filed by Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez.

The bill primarily seeks to reap the potential economic benefits from developing the domestic vehicle manufacturing industry especially during this time of a COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Majority Leader Jesus “Bong” Suntay, who chairs the technical working group (TWG) for the measure, said passage of the bill into law would help the government accelerate the development of the country’s motor vehicle manufacturing industry.

Suntay said this would, thereby, contribute to further industrial capital technology transfer, promote technical skills development and employment generation in the Philippines.

“(It also aims) to ensure a balanced transition to open trade by fully developing the competitive capacities of the Philippine motoring vehicle manufacturing industry and promoting greater participation in the global value chain,” Suntay stressed.

Suntay said the TWG panel has also made sure that supporting industries—like those in the semi-conductor business—are covered under the measure.

“Hopefully, with the passage of this bill, we would be able to provide the needed incentives so that the support industries may also be able to lower their cost, to promote the vehicles which are manufactured locally,” he said.

He also said the measure seeks to integrate the motor vehicle manufacturing industry into the overall transport sector policy to encourage objective market conditions for locally produced vehicles in the expansion and upgrading of the country’s vehicle fleet.

The lawmaker also said the salient and key provisions of the bill is to make the Philippine motor vehicle manufacturing industry a priority investment sector that will regularly form part of the country’s investment priority plans “unless declared otherwise by law.”