SEIPI seeks inclusion of semicon sector in the priority list at ASEAN Chairship 2026

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI) is asking the government why the industry is not included in the priority sector that will be highlighted in the upcoming ASEAN Summit, where the Philippines will chair next year.

“When I saw the presentation presented by the ABAC (APEC Business Advisory Council) to the President, the semiconductor was not on the list, only MSMEs, among others. I understand that. But in terms of generating revenue and investments for the country, we need to go beyond just MSMEs,” said Dan Lachica, president of SEIPI, in an ambush interview on Monday during the Public-Private Sector Dialogue on the Philippines 2026 Priority Economic Deliverables: Navigating Our Future Toward a Resilient, Innovative, and Sustainable ASEAN in Makati City.

He said he has been pushing for the semiconductor to be included in the priority list, as his peers from Malaysia and Thailand are asking for its inclusion.

“When they asked me what to do about it, I said I didn’t know. Especially Malaysia, because they did a wonderful framework,” he said.

He said foreign investors will not have the heart to pour investments if the government itself is not supporting it.

The SEIPI official earlier said that they are expecting a relatively flat to modest export growth this year despite the possible impact of America’s tariff policy.

“The investment framework is on track. But if you are an investor, you’re not going to invest if the environment is not right, meaning you have the infrastructure, you have demonstrated the capability that you can absorb the investment and be profitable about; you’ve got the talent and the supply chain. So, that is what I am saying. The ecosystem has to be developed. We have to attract investments, but you have to show first that you are worthy of the investment,” he said.

“Without the proof of concept and the ecosystem, it’s wishful thinking. There’s no chance of catching up with Malaysia and Vietnam. Look at them, we are chasing them in terms of wafer fabrication,” he said, adding that the country would be left behind in the industry if the government continues with its strategy.

Wafer fabrication is a procedure composed of many repeated sequential processes to produce complete electrical or photonic circuits on semiconductor wafers in a semiconductor device fabrication process.

With this, he said the Philippine government should include the discussion on semiconductor and electronics in the ASEAN agenda.

On Monday, Trade Undersecretary for Foreign Relations Allan Gepty said the five major agenda items for next year’s ASEAN chairship include strengthening trade and investment linkages, accelerating digital transformation, integrating ASEAN’s MSMEs development agenda, leveraging the creative economy and innovation, and advancing sustainable and inclusive economies.

In 2024 alone, the country exported $42.74 billion worth of semiconductors, peaking at $49.5 billion, which accounted for 70 percent of all Philippine exports, making the sector the single largest export driver of the economy.