Daily Tribune‘With the Tatak Pinoy Law in place, local enterprises can get the support they need from both national and local governments to improve their operations and attract investments, all to produce high-quality products that carry the ‘Made in the Philippines’ trademark and elevate their inherent worth in foreign markets’
Photo courtesy of nicelocal.ph
The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines or CeMAP, which has been grappling with the entry of imported cement products from Vietnam, extolled President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s signing of Republic Act 11981, or the Tatak Pinoy Law, wnich aims to empower Philippine industries by providing financing and incentives to local producers and manufacturers of quality goods.
“Local industry manufacturing groups from the building materials industry including cement, iron, steel, ceramic tiles, adhesives, plastic products, paints, fiber cement boards, gypsum boards, glass, and other related products, are expressing gratitude to President Marcos for signing this landmark law and advocating for locally produced goods and services,” said Cerilo Pestaño, CeMAP president.
Just this January, CeMAP maintained that locally manufactured cement is ample, saying the Philippine cement industry has a total expected capacity this 2024 of 53 million tons, however, demand is projected to hover at a negative 34.5 MT for this year.
“With government accounting for an estimated 40 percent of total cement demand, there is certainly enough locally manufactured cement to provide for government infrastructure projects and more,” Pestaño said.
The CeMAP president said local manufacturers have continued investing in additional capacity totaling 13 million tons per annum or MTPA over the last five years — with San Miguel Group with +6 MTPA, Taiheiyo with +3 MTPA, Republic Cement at +1.7 MTPA, Cemex at +1.5 MTPA, and other players with +3 MTPA.
In 2023, imported cement from Vietnam reached 7 million metric tons which is almost the same volume in 2022.
Recent data collected by CeMAP from the Bureau of Customs reveals that anti-dumping duties imposed beginning March 2023 were only levied on 20 percent of total cement exports to the Philippines.
Earlier, the Tatak Pinoy Act was listed as the priority measure of the Marcos administration.
“With the Tatak Pinoy Law in place, local enterprises can get the support they need from both national and local governments to improve their operations and attract investments, all to produce high-quality products that carry the ‘Made in the Philippines’ trademark and elevate their inherent worth in foreign markets,” Pestaño stressed.
A key provision of the Act provides for the prioritization and preference of Philippine products in all government procurement activities for 10 years.
“Patronizing locally made goods and services will naturally spur and promote investments, job creation, innovation, and tax generation, among others in the country. The law will also be good for generating and sustaining high-quality jobs for Filipinos, instead of looking for employment overseas,” he said.
The Tatak Pinoy Law encourages local industries to innovate to promote excellence in Philippine-made products, which would improve the standing of such products in the global value chain, according to the Department of Trade and Industry.
“Local companies and manufacturers will commit to providing quality materials for the administration’s infrastructure programs,” the CeMAP president noted.
A Tatak Pinoy Council will also be assembled to develop a multi-year strategy for exports and provide solutions to the challenges local industries face in the global market.
