Quick exit for Aquino’s first Cebu visit

PRESIDENT Aquino assured major players in the country’s electronics industry of the government’s support. Then he flew back to Manila, foregoing a scheduled press conference.

He spoke before delegates of the 17th World Electronics Forum in the Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City.

The Philippines is known as a major producer of integrated circuits, capacitors, resistors, connectors and inductors.

It was a quick visit and Aquino’s first to Cebu this year. After the speech, Aquino had a brief question-and-answer with delegates then left. A press conference was quickly cancelled.

Reporters and camera men who milled outside the hall were earlier told the President would answer only two questions — one about the fate of the Malacañang sa Sugbo and fugitive congressman Ruben Ecleo. They remained unanswered.

In his speech, the President said 530,000 jobs were created by the electronics industry last year. The year before, about 178 information technology-related companies opened with an investment of over P2 billion.

“We are, however, building on initiatives that will allow the Philippines to compete more strongly in the global markets. As you know, we are already offering competitive incentives to electronic firms registered with investment promotion agencies,” Aquino said.

Delegates called for the expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) to allow expanded trade of electronic and IT products from countries like the Philippines into other markets.

“The global supply chain requires a multilateral agreement and the ITA expansion would benefit all countries,” said Shoichie Inoue, general manager of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA).

Sage Chandler, International Trade Consumer Electronics Association senior director, said information communication technology (ICT) products account for 51 percent of Philippine exports.

“Expansion of duty or tariff-free treatment of products under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) ITA would affect millions in the Philippines’ ICT exports,” Chandler said./With an Inquirer, Marian Codilla report