President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday said his administration has already started to make gains in its goal of transforming the country into a leader in environment-friendly manufacturing.
The Chief Executive made the remark following the inauguration of Unilever’s New Beauty, Well-Being, and Personal Care (BWPC) factory in General Trias, Cavite.
The P4.7-billion state-of-the-art plant was among the business commitments Marcos secured during his trip to Brussels, Belgium last December.
The facility, which generated 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, is projected to produce nearly 90,000 tons of various personal care products annually for domestic and overseas demand.
The President said among the innovations in the factory was a packaging method, which requires 5 percent less plastic to produce.
“Considering the volumes that we are talking about, that is an enormous—that is a big number,” Marcos said.
According to a 2021 World Bank report, the country produces 2.7 million tons of plastics annually.
Marcos said he expects more factories with similar eco-friendly features to that of Unilever’s will start to operate in the country in the coming years.
“We have many more initiatives and even more projects in the pipeline aimed at cementing the Philippines’s position as a leader in smart and sustainability-driven manufacturing in Southeast Asia and in the world,” Marcos said.
He added the government is continuing to seek more similar investments as part of the administration’s socioeconomic priorities.
“I have faith that we can actualize the goals of boosting employment; adopting research, development and innovation; and shaping a blue and a green economy,” Marcos said.
