Yamaha Motor Philippines Inc. opened a bigger motorcycle assembly facility at the Lima Technology Center in Malvar, Batangas, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority said Tuesday.
PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza, who attended the inauguration of P2.69-bilion facility on Feb. 22, would open 1,300 new jobs in Batangas and nearby provinces, on top of the existing 1,500 positions.
Yamaha president Hiroshi Koike said the factory was the first it set up in the Philippines in more than 34 years.
Koike said as transportation shifted from public commuting to personal use of mobility, there was an increase in the demand for automatic motorcycle models.
“Generating a huge number of products will result in creation of more jobs roughly, about 1,500 employees for old factory and additional recruitment of 1,300 workforce for this newly-built factory. This is in line with our corporate social responsibility in contributing to the enhancement of the Philippine economy,” he said.
The inauguration on Monday marked the start of operation of the new line. The expansion was also Yamaha’s commitment to expand business operations in the Philippines.
Yamaha worked with Philippine Economic Zone Authority since its registration in 2007.
Koike said the company aimed to cooperate with PEZA in expanding their business to fulfill the company’s goal of posting the highest growth in the motorcycle industry among Southeast Asian countries and to “impress to the Filipino people the creation of products that are beyond expectations”.
“PEZA welcomes Yamaha’s expansion project especially during this time that we are reeling from the uncertainties at hand,” said Plaza.
She said PEZA had been supportive of these projects to encourage locators not to leave nor transfer but to expand and continue operations in economic zones amid the pandemic.
Plaza cited PEZA’s deep appreciation and gratitude to locator companies’ continued operations and for helping the Philippine economy recover and thus “preserving the welfare of our countrymen, our country’s economy, and the jobs of Filipinos.”
OthPlaza also asked locator companies to continue operating in the Philippines and help the economy attain inclusive growth.
