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By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez Reporter
SUBIC Bay Freeport: Philip Morris International pushed through with
its plan to locate its regional warehouse in the Philippines, adding
it would expand operations in the country next year.
Chris Nelson, Philip Morris
Philippines Manufacturing, Inc. managing director, said Subic was
chosen over Singapore since the Philippines provides advantages in
terms of costs and efficiencies.
“After thorough deliberations,
[we] decided that the Subic facility will be the storage hub for
tobacco leaf to be supplied to our various manufacturing facilities
in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.
Further, the warehouse will store
tobacco leaves bought from suppliers in Indonesia, Thailand and
India among others. These will be exported to and processed in
cigarette manufacturing facilities in the Philippines, Malaysia and
Indonesia.
“This move is not just for
today, but for the future. This serves as a firm commitment to the
Philippines,” Nelson said.
In 2009, the company will expand
its capacity from the present 6,100 metric tons of leaves at its
renovated establishment to 24, 000 metric tons, which would entail a
P1 billion investment, the executive said.
At present, Philip Morris’
$300-million manufacturing plant in Tanauan, Batangas, produces 32
billion cigarette sticks a year, a fifth of which is shipped to
Thailand.
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