President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced optimism on Tuesday, August 25, that the country is nearing the capability to locally manufacture electric vehicles, such as tricycles and jeepneys.
During an inspection of the MD Juan Enterprises production plant in Caloocan City, the President outlined plans for the national government to empower domestic manufacturers by assisting firms like MD Juan to scale up and modernize their operations.
“So, the next step is to put in some of the new equipment na that is still necessary for the production of the electric vehicle. At alam na namin yung gagawin,” President Marcos said.
“And together with our technical consultants, I believe that we will soon be seeing a Filipino electric vehicle, tricycle, at maybe down the road makagawa na tayo ng jeepney,” he added.
MD Juan Enterprises is well-known for producing component parts and assemblies utilized in both commercial and military jeep models. To refine product standards and speed up domestic assembly, the Department of Science and Technology has pledged technical assistance to the manufacturer.
President Marcos underscored that bolstering local electric vehicle production directly aligns with state efforts to reduce dependence on foreign fuel.
“In this way, our economy will become more stable, as well as the livelihood of those, especially our fellow Filipinos, who operate public transport vehicles,” he explained.
The Chief Executive noted that his visit aimed to evaluate operational conditions and determine targeted interventions needed for full-scale production.
“Ngayon kaya tayo nandito tinitignan natin kung ano yung mga kailangan gawin para kaya na nila na makapag-fabricate ng all-Filipino na electric na tricycle at electric na jeepney kung sakali dumating sa ganun,” Marcos stated.
“Kaya tinitignan namin ang mga facilities, ano yung nandito na, ano na yung mga kulang, ano pa yung mga kulang na susuportahan ng ating DOST, ng national government para makapagawa na tayo ng electric vehicle dito sa Pilipinas,” he continued.
Highlighting the firm’s solid reputation, the President commended MD Juan as a long-standing industry player poised to pioneer localized vehicle assembly and fabrication using domestic supply chains.