EDUCATION | PH poised to become global semiconductor champion

The Philippines is on track to become the next global powerhouse in the semiconductor industry within five years, building on the confidence expressed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who recently called the sector a “fertile area for development.”

This optimism was shared among members of the Semiconductor and Electronics sub-working group (SubWG) during their meeting held last week (February 7) at the Board of Investments building in Makati City.

Accelerating value chain growth

Charade Avondo, Xinyx Design president and concurrent chair of the SubWG for Promotion and Events, said that in recent years, the country’s semiconductor industry has been moving up its value chain in order to become a partner of choice in the global semiconductor business.

“The Philippines is already known for its manufacturing capabilities in the semiconductor industry,” said Avondo. “We should be showcasing the high-value talent of our Filipino engineers in IC design and position the country as an all-in-one powerhouse for
semiconductors.”

International sxposure at Semicon Europa

Discussed in the meeting was the opportunity to participate in Semicon Europa in Munich, Germany in November 2025, the largest platform for the European S&E industry. The event can give the Philippines the opportunity to open direct access to the European semiconductor
market.

Advancing workforce development

Also discussed was workforce development in the academe and the talent pipeline as a top priority. Since 2023, Xinyx Design has been spearheading efforts to address the talent shortage such as Xinyx Unlocked, a nationwide skills and innovation competition among
universities across the country, and their annual campus caravans billed under their ongoing Campus Connect program.

Soon, Xinyx Design will sign an agreement with TUP (Technological University of the Philippines) Manila that will promote microelectronics courses to engineering students.

Avondo announced that they will be targeting K-12 students through LABS by Xinyx, a premium, flexible training platform to nurture interest in microelectronics and IC (integrated circuit) design. This is in support of the government’s goal in producing 128,000
engineers by 2032, a goal post that was moved up from 2028. Xinyx plans to take this project in both private and public schools but found some difficulty due to the long process involved in conducting activities within public schools.

Policy support, industry collaboration

In a similar vein, both BOI and Xinyx have been making efforts in pushing the government to increase support for the S&E industry. The BOI is drafting an executive order to be submitted to President Marcos seeking to prioritize the sector and ease the approval
of projects in revitalizing the industry.

Avondo also disclosed that the academe and private sector are pushing the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to create more specialized majors in colleges, like BS Microelectronics.

With coordinated efforts across government agencies, academic institutions, and industry leaders, the Philippines is positioning itself as a formidable contender in the global semiconductor arena. Through international promotions and a robust workforce development strategy, the country looks forward to an exciting future in this vital industry.

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