Philippines building aircraft parts: Aerospace firm doubles down in Batangas

Manila: An aircraft parts maker is expanding in the Philippines.

Global Aerospace Technology Philippines Inc. (GATPHI) will open a new facility in Batangas. It will make parts for export to customers around the world.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) announced the move. The new site is in First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP), a 500+ hectare special economic zone located in the thriving industrial CALABARZON area south of Metro Manila.

It adds to the firm’s existing plant at Cavite Technopark Special Economic Zone in Naic.

What the factory will do:

The Batangas site will focus on:

• manufacturing and fabrication

• machining

• injection moulding

• thermoforming

• assembly of aerospace parts

The company first registered with Peza in February this year. That is less than a year ago. Peza and GATPHI signed a supplemental agreement for the expansion on 6 October.

The new plant is also expected to support two big aerospace names, North Carolina-based Collins Aerospace and Safran Aerospace, based in Paris.

What officials say

Peza Director General Tereso Panga called the move a sign of growing confidence in the Philippines. He said the country is becoming a competitive base for advanced manufacturing, especially in aviation.

He added that the expansion could help the country in two ways: It could bring technology and knowledge transfer, and it could also create openings for smaller firms in the supply chain.

GATPHI’s president, Jason Carl Tyas, said the company wants to build local skills.

He said the company will invest in people and technology. It also aims to serve top aerospace firms with high-quality, cost-competitive manufacturing.

Aviation hub

Peza wants the Philippines to become a regional aviation hub. It plans to set up “aerotropolis” ecozones, which would cluster aviation and aerospace firms near key airport hubs.

It will work with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on this. The plan is part of proposed amendments to the Peza law.

The Cavite plant is not just for parts. It is set to make and assemble drones (UAVs), unmanned aircraft systems, special-purpose machinery and aerospace components.

Peza also hopes to beat last year’s investment record. It says "four big projects", each worth at least ₱50 billion ($797 million), are in the pipeline.