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TOYOTA
Motor Philippines (TMP) reached another milestone after
it became the first domestic manufacturer to produce
400,000 units of vehicles.
Dr.
David Go, TMP senior executive vice president, said the
company’s 400,000-unit production record does not count
those assembled by its predecessor Delta Motors, which
manufactured
Toyota
vehicles before the incorporation of TMP in 1988.
Go said
the significance of their new milestone will be
magnified by TMP’s contribution to the economy in the
last 19 years as the company strived to establish its
leadership in the domestic market.
In terms
of investments, Go said
Toyota
has infused over P20 billion in capital to maintain
operations in the country from 1988 to 2007.
The
company contributed to the development of its supplier
network, as every year it procures about P4 billion
worth of products from over 400 local suppliers.
In terms
of duties and taxes paid from 1989 to present, TMP has
contributed over P70 billion.
TMP,
along with its 26 dealers/outlets, currently employs
around 12,000 employees.
Despite
its achievements, Yuji Takahashi, TMP Comptrollership
Division head, said the Philippine unit still has a long
way to go in catching up with Thailand, which probably
produced 10 times more than the local unit.
Takahashi said Toyota is seeking to ramp up its assembly
operations in the
Philippines
but it should get support from the government in terms
of incentives and protection from imported units.
“These
will help us convince the headquarters,” Takahashi told
the BusinessMirror at the 400,000-unit production
milestone celebrations at the TMP production plant in
Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Tuesday.
TMP has
registered the highest sales in passenger cars,
commercial vehicles and total number of vehicles sold in
the country since 2002, and recently sold its 500,000th
unit locally.
TMP is
currently producing the Innova and Vios in its Sta. Rosa
plant. The 400,000th unit produced, an Innova, is still
in the plant awaiting delivery. |
