THE Department of Trade and Industry – Board of Investments (DTI-BOI) is eyeing to produce over a hundred thousand professionals for the country’s semiconductor and electronics industry by 2028 through partnering with relevant government agencies and the private sector.
“The DTI is targeting to develop 128,000 engineers and technicians by 2028 to support the semiconductor and electronics industry. From micro-engineers to TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority)-certified technicians, licensed engineers to PhD and masters graduates, we will need their skills and capabilities to move the semiconductor and electronics industry forward,” said Trade undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.
The DTI-BOI is partnering with the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) and the Center for Integrated Circuits and Devices Research (CIDR) to level up the Filipino workforce’s skills to prop up the semiconductor industry in the Philippines.
The investment promotion agency said the upskilling of country’s semiconductor workforce can also be made through continued collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), TESDA, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), other relevant national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and the academe.
In particular, BOI executive director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dichosa said the target number of professionals in the semiconductor sector can be achieved by looking at the specific requirements of the industry and tapping academic institutions and partner agencies in the education sector to build the future workforce — from junior and senior high school students to higher education students — have better understanding and appreciation of the local semiconductor industry.
The Philippines’ semiconductor and electronics industry remains the top contributor to the country’s total exports, accounting for around 56.9% or $41.91 billion in 2023.
The sector is also the third largest contributor to the country’s manufacturing Gross Value Added (GVA) accounting for 11% of the total manufacturing GVA for the same period.
Globally, the Philippines accounted for 2.7% of world’s integrated circuits exports and has been among the top 10 exporters for at least the last decade with a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%, according to the DTI-BOI. (GMA Integrated News)
