Encouraged by the strong potential of the solar energy component manufacturing, the domestic electronics industry is now looking at transforming the Philippines as a solar manufacturing hub in southeast Asia by encouraging more investments and prop up the largely semiconductor-based local industry whose exports is expected to reach between $27 billion to $28 billion this year.

Ernesto Santiago, president of the Semiconductor Electronics Industry of the Philippines Inc. (SEIPI), said that photo-voltaics or solar energy is one of the 20 new electronics sub-components technologies identified under the draft Electronics Roadmap of SEIPI, which it plans to present before President Aquino in October this year.

“The goal is to present to Aquino an industry roadmap that includes a pitch to transform the Philippines as a solar manufacturing hub in Asia,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that solar exports already account for $800 million of the $22 billion electronics exports last year. Exports from this electronics sub-sector are expected to hit $1 billion this year.

Santiago said that solar is new but it has a huge potential in the country because of the local capability and the presence of SunPower, the world’s seventh biggest manufacturer of solar cells and panels. Aside from SunPower, which exports all of its products, the Lopez-owned First Philec is also is engaged in solar wafer slicing for SunPower. “Perhaps we can invite more in solar for the reason that we have talent and we have SunPower. We should be in business where we are right now. We consider our capabilities here but since this is where the world trend is going, we are trying to see if we could adopt, align or move in sync with global manufacturing technology vectors,” he said.

SunPower is even expanding in Malaysia to minimize the so-called country risk factor.