POWER COSTS. High power costs could hamper the recovery of the local electronics sector. Photo by AFP

MANILA, Philippines - The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI) urged the government to address infrastructure constraints, particularly in the energy sector, to lower power costs.

In a statement on Tuesday, February 12, SEIPI considers lower power costs as a vital component in the recovery of the electronics sector in 2013.

SEIPI said this rebound will be due to new factories that will require more power to manufacture and ship their mobile phone chips and microprocessors for computers abroad.

The group expressed concern that some power and infrastructure projects of the government, which the group did not cite, are facing legal issues.

This, SEIPI said, could cause the high cost and unreliability of electricity supply in the country to persist and jeopardize the recovery of the electronics sector.

Export earnings from Electronic products amounted to $22.6 billion in 2012, a contraction of 5.2% from the $23.8 billion registered in 2011. It accounts for 43% of total export earnings in 2012

The local electronics industry used to account for half of the country’s export shipments, aside from providing direct employment to 557,000 Filipinos. - Rappler.com