Salceda: Let free port locator supply masks

MANILA, Philippines — To address the scarcity of face masks in the Philippines, a Taiwanese firm should be allowed to supply the local market, the chair of the House ways and means panel said on Monday.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said Medtecs International Corp Ltd., a Taiwanese company based in the Free Port Area of Mariveles town in Bataan province, could supply five million face masks per month, “possibly more,” if it were allowed to supply more to the domestic market.

What was stopping Medtecs from manufacturing the masks was a technicality, he said.

“Right now, they are subject to the 70-percent export rule, wherein they will lose their incentives if they supply more than 30 percent to the domestic market,” Salceda said.

Thus, he said he was asking the Authority of Freeport Area of Bataan to grant Medtecs “100-percent domestic leeway” for its sales.

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