For our first goal, “Satisfy domestic demand and be a leading contributor to the Philippine export basket”, the industry needs to secure and monitor the information on domestic plastics demand and requirements. This will enable the industry to tap these markets and adapt its operations to meet their needs. A strong domestic demand allows manufacturers to improve their economies of scale and increase their potential to be export competitive. By 2016, the plastics industry should be able to develop the local market, venture towards the ASEAN market by 2022, and the global market by 2030 through trade promotions. Creating a One Stop Shop to minimize if not totally eliminate red tape will encourage plastic manufacturers to venture into tapping export markets thereby providing the industry with a sustainable export growth.
Our second goal aims to “Promote a high level workforce productivity”, stresses the need to retain the industry’s technical workforce to stay competitive. Most of the skilled workers trained by the industry get “pirated” by plastic manufacturers abroad because of higher compensation. The industry needs to develop a program that will first attract, train and then retain workers to improve workforce productivity. Aligned with this is that the industry needs to work with academic institutions for technical development. Unions form an integral part of our local workforce and promoting social dialogue with them is essential for industrial peace. The industry aims to promote the integration of the values of innovation in the primary and secondary level of education into the academic curricula to prepare them to work for the industry after the government’s K+12 program, or pursue tertiary education through applied chemical courses integrated with the formal curricula related to Science and Technology and hopefully produce a pool of MS/PhD in the field of plastics by 2022 and have trained Filipino scientists for the plastics industry by 2030.
The third goal strives to, “Be innovative in process”. To achieve this, a Research and Development Center for the plastics needs to be set-up. Developing partnerships with academic institutions and private groups for the development of innovative process technology and in the future, forge partnerships with foreign institutions for the further development of process technologies. By 2030 the Philippines’ plastics industry should be at least at par with the ASEAN +4 in terms of product and process innovation.
The fourth goal, “Develop the industry sustainably mindful of finite/limited resources”, the industry needs to promote the value and principle of 3R within its manufacturers. The industry should be lobby for legislative policies and regulations in support of the recycling industry. To avert the negative perception by the general populous on plastics and environment here in the Philippines fueled by false information from non-government environmental organizations, enhancing the industry’s image as an industry that contributes to sustainability would be a priority. By 2022, the plastics industry should be a leader in innovative products that addresses climate change and green products and processes should also have a significant development at this point of time.
To “Promote/develop/strengthen the plastics recycling industry” is the fifth goal. The further development of the plastics recycling industry not only complements the preceding goal, but, more importantly, also significantly contributes to the development of the entire industry. Recovery for recycling of material inputs must be strengthened and institutionalized. By 2016 there should be a 20% recovery and recycling of disposable input and by 2022, a further increase of 20% and achieve a total of 60% by 2030. There must be a drive towards keeping recyclable resources locally in lieu of the current practice of profit oriented, backyard/underground traders in the practice of exporting. Providing incentives such as Income Tax Holidays and Value Added Tax Exemption for this industry sector for both existing and pioneering recycling companies would enhance activities and encourage players to modernize their equipment and further improve existing waste management facilities to fully comply with existing environmental laws. By 2022 the plastics industry should develop and promote products with high recycled content, and by 2030, the consuming public would fully patronize recycled products with the local industry’s commitment to quality and performance through research.
Innovation on products is essential for an industry to strive and prosper. With this comes our last goal, “Create a wide range of innovative products with the best consumer value”. Essential to this goal is Research and Development. To achieve this, partnerships must be forged with both local and international institutions to aiming to conceptualize and design products that aim to improve performance and functionality – whether it is for packaging, construction, agriculture, automotive, food, etc... Both incentives and safety nets must be in place to ensure its viability and cost recovery to enhance this activity. Joint government and private efforts should also be made to market to both local and overseas markets.
Note: 1 Adopted from the SPIK Chemicals Industry Master Plan