Photo courtesy of SEMPHIL
BUSINESS

Samsung’s P50.7-B PH expansion wins CREATE MORE nod

Toby Magsaysay

The Marcos administration has approved a P50.7-billion expansion by Samsung Electro-Mechanics Philippines Corporation (SEMPHIL), marking the first project to receive Presidential Incentives under the CREATE MORE Act (Republic Act No. 12066).

“Samsung is already in the Philippines. They have employed thousands of Filipinos in their very high-tech manufacturing plant. The products that they make in the Philippines are of the highest tech that you can imagine. That is very, very important for us,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said during an interview in South Korea.

“They made a commitment of a little over P50 billion to expand. That translates into 3,000 new jobs. And again, the transfer of technology is going to be very important,” he added.

The President said Samsung will also partner with local universities for workforce training and research and development initiatives.

The investment was finalized after Marcos met Samsung executives at the 32nd APEC Summit, where a supplemental agreement was signed between the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and SEMPHIL.

Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick D. Go said the project reflects the impact of recent policy reforms. “This development sends a strong message to the global business community — the Philippines is more than open and ready for business,” he said.

PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga called it a “landmark achievement” that will “strengthen the Philippines’ position in the global semiconductor value chain.”

The Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB) noted that the CREATE MORE framework ensures incentives are “targeted and transformative,” balancing competitiveness with fiscal responsibility.

The administration views the Samsung project as a key example of its investment-led growth strategy — driving technology transfer, strengthening manufacturing, and generating quality jobs for Filipinos.

Located in Calamba Premiere International Park, SEMPHIL serves as the global production hub of South Korea’s Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (SEMCO). The expansion will build a new high-tech facility to produce multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) for electric vehicles and smart devices, expected to create more than 3,500 jobs when operations begin in July 2027.