Industry & Retail

The often-overlooked industrial sector continues to largely impress investors, as manufacturing is currently one the best-performing segments not only in the Philippines, but in South-east Asia as a whole. Apart from its favourable location in a rapidly growing region, the Philippines has a distinct advantage thanks to its large, relatively low-cost yet highly educated labour force. Although starting from a comparatively low base, the value of the industrial sector – which includes the subsectors of manufacturing, mining and quarrying, construction, and electricity, gas and water – has expanded rapidly in recent years from $26m in 2000 to $86.7m in 2015.

This chapter contains interviews with Patrick Henry Go, President and COO, JG Summit Petrochemicals Group; and Jonathan C Ng, President, Republic Biscuit Corporation.