PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. eyes all-Filipino electric tricycle and electric jeepney manufacturing by modernizing local transport production to shift toward cleaner energy solutions.
During his visit to MD Juan Enterprises, Inc. in Caloocan City on Tuesday, Marcos said he wants to help the local manufacturing industry and find out what the government can do to increase the company’s production.
“The reason we are here now is to assess what needs to be done so that they will be capable of fabricating all-Filipino electric tricycles and electric jeepneys, should the need arise,” said Marcos in Filipino.
The president highlighted that MD Juan Enterprises — an automotive manufacturer known for producing metal parts for World War II-era and civilian jeeps — is well-positioned to lead the domestic transition to EV production.
“MD1 is recognized for its long-running experience in this field and is at the forefront of the technologies needed for us to assemble, fabricate, and manufacture electric vehicles entirely within the country,” Marcos said.
He noted that developing local assembly lines is crucial for stabilizing the economy and securing the livelihoods of public transport workers.
“We know this aligns with our goal of reducing dependence on imported petroleum products, thereby stabilizing our economy and securing the livelihoods of our transport workers.”
To achieve full-scale local production, the administration plans to equip domestic facilities with advanced machinery and leverage technical expertise from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“The next step is to install the new equipment still required for electric vehicle production,” the president added.
“Together with our technical consultants, I am confident that we will soon see a Filipino-made electric tricycle, and perhaps, down the line, we will be able to produce electric jeepneys as well,” Marcos enthused.
