DTI maps USD 110-billion chip export push

The Department of Trade and Industry has unveiled a roadmap aimed at turning the Philippines into a globally competitive semiconductor and electronics hub, with a target of reaching USD 110 billion in annual exports by 2030.

The Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Industry, or PSEI, Roadmap was presented during the fourth meeting of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council on March 23 at Malacañang.

The plan sets a goal of USD 70 billion in semiconductor exports and USD 40 billion in electronics exports by 2030.

It also comes with a five-year workforce plan that seeks to train and upskill 128,000 semiconductor professionals to meet the sector’s evolving technical requirements.

The roadmap positions the Philippines as a premier global packaging partner while laying out the next steps for moving the industry into higher-value segments.

Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto, who chairs the council, said the Marcos administration is committed to carrying out the roadmap’s priority actions.

Recto described the semiconductor and electronics sector as an “employment leader and economic winner” that is essential to national progress.

The sector accounts for nearly three-fifths of the country’s export receipts and employs about three million Filipinos, underscoring why the government sees it as central to long-term industrial growth.

Following the council’s endorsement, BOI Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa presented the roadmap and detailed the strategic direction and the government commitments needed to achieve its targets.

The roadmap was developed by the DTI in coordination with industry stakeholders, research institutions, and partner government agencies.

It identifies interventions across the value chain, from advanced packaging and integrated circuit design to the longer-term goal of establishing front-end manufacturing.

The plan also proposes the creation of up to three national laboratories.

Each laboratory is envisioned to have its own area of specialization, dedicated fabrication capability, research and development roadmap, and talent development framework.

Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque said the roadmap is meant to convert the Philippines’ strength in electronics exports into a deeper and more durable industrial advantage.

“Semiconductors are our number one export, and we want to keep growing that. The PSEI Roadmap tells us exactly what we need to do—and who needs to do it. We built this with the industry, and we are committed to delivering on it, because the more this sector grows, the more jobs it creates for our people.”

Roque said the roadmap also provides the structure for the country to climb to more sophisticated parts of the semiconductor value chain.

“The PSEI Roadmap gives us the framework to move up the value chain, from packaging into IC design and, eventually, wafer fabrication. The biggest driver of that transition is not just promotion but policy reform, and this roadmap identifies exactly the reforms we need to make it happen.”

That emphasis on policy reform reflects a broader challenge facing the Philippines, where industry leaders have long argued that sustaining electronics growth will require not just investment promotion, but also better infrastructure, stronger research capacity, and a deeper pool of specialized engineers and technicians.

The council also cited the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairmanship as an opportunity to raise the country’s profile as an emerging semiconductor hub in the region.

Recto directed that implementation of the roadmap be monitored closely and consistently, with clear deadlines, assigned responsibilities, and reforms identified for legislative action, executive directives, or budgetary support.

“Otherwise, it is just paper with ambition printed on it,” Recto said.