Luggage maker eyes Philippine comeback, PEZA says

Taiwanese‑American luggage firm PLG Prime Global Co. plans to resume operations in the Philippines, eyeing a site in one of the country’s economic zones, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said.

“PLG Prime Global Co. Ltd. is a comebacking Taiwanese locator. They operated in the Philippines from 2018-2022, and then transferred their luggage manufacturing to China. But because of the reciprocal tariff, they want to revive their operations in the country to be able to export to the US. They have already reserved a lot at the Hermosa Industrial Park, where they will put in bigger investments this time. The company will file its application within 15 days,” PEZA Director General Tereso Panga told reporters.

On 16 April, company representatives visited the PEZA office in Pasay City to discuss opportunities under the CREATE MORE regime and the emerging China+2 strategy.

PLG Prime Global was joined by Manila Economic and Cultural Office director Wilson Tecson and PEZA investment‑promotion partner Jayson Sze. Plans call for a manufacturing facility in Hermosa, Bataan.

The American‑Taiwanese firm, a leading luggage maker with facilities in Taiwan, China, and the United States, now views the Philippines as a smart investment destination in the region.

Panga noted that apparel, footwear, and luggage manufacturing “are the industries that we lost to China, Vietnam, and Cambodia,” but reciprocal US tariffs on various nations could help bring these sectors back.

“Currently, we have received several serious inquiries from investors with manufacturing facilities in the US, China, Taiwan, and even Vietnam. When you’ve got American, Chinese, Taiwanese, and even Vietnamese manufacturers knocking on your door, you know something’s shifting, and it’s shifting towards our direction. The Philippines is back in the conversation," Panga said.