MANILA, Philippines – Why would Mitsubishi Motors pour P7 billion into making hybrid vehicles in the Philippines, when it is still much cheaper to build cars in neighboring Thailand or Indonesia?
For the Japanese automaker, the answer is partly that it has been here too long, and the Philippine market matters too much, to pass on local manufacturing.
“This country is very special, very important, and we’d like to commit to this nation for a long time,” Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) chairman Noriaki Hirakata told reporters on Monday, August 10.
So, Mitsubishi is making another bet on its Sta. Rosa plant. By 2028, it wants to build hybrid models locally, assemble its battery pack in the Philippines, and gradually bring more work to Filipino suppliers. Pilot production could begin around mid-2027.
“We promised we’ll assemble the battery in Philippines and we will try to localize this product as much as possible,” Hirakata said.
