PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said a United States-based medical glove company has pledged to invest $200 million to build a manufacturing facility in the Philippines.
In a media interview in New York City on Tuesday, Marcos said the US Medical Glove Co. (USMGC) has sent representatives to the Philippines to begin preparations for building its first plant and expanding operations further.
”The prospective amount is $200 million in the beginning,” Marcos told reporters before returning to Manila.
”They have already started it. They sent representatives to the Philippines. They’re already starting to build their first plant, and they even want to expand. They already have found the local partner,” he added.
Marcos met with officials of USMGC on the sidelines of his United Nations engagements in New York City on Monday.
The president said the project would create over 2,000 jobs and pave the way for the local production of essential medical supplies. He said the initial phase would involve a smaller investment, but discussions are already under way for a much larger expansion once operations begin.
Once operational, the president said the facility would help ensure a stable domestic supply for various sectors.
”This is going to be to our advantage; we will have a supply not only for our health care workers but also for the military and others who need it,” he said.
Marcos said the government was open to exploring more opportunities if the manufacturing venture performs well. He also said USMGC wanted to expedite the construction of the facility.
“The construction of this kind of facility is actually quick. They said that once the building is completed, and once their machinery arrives, they can start the process within 48 hours,” Marcos said.
USMGC is the leading American manufacturer of nitrile and polyisoprene surgical and exam gloves, headquartered in a 1.8-million-square-foot facility in Harvard, Illinois. It has 10 nitrile-glove production lines in operation and produces over 2 billion gloves annually. The company uses eco-friendly, energy-efficient machines that are 90 percent lighter than conventional machines and recycles 100 percent of production water.
Meanwhile, Marcos said his administration was committed to improving the country’s investment climate and making it easier for companies to do business. This comes as he invited American investors to explore opportunities in the Philippines, saying the country is open for business.
”We are ready to work with you. The Philippines is open — and I mean that not as a slogan, but as a commitment from my administration,” the president said during a dinner reception hosted by LT Group Inc. in New York.
”We have been working hard to improve our investment climate, cut red tape, make it easier to do business and build something lasting in our country. We are also at a moment of real opportunity,” he added.
Marcos said shifting global supply chains have created new opportunities for countries like the Philippines as companies diversify production beyond a single location. He said the Philippines offers advantages such as a skilled and English-speaking workforce, improved infrastructure, and one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in Asia.
”We have a government that is actively investing in industrial zones and manufacturing corridors, and that is serious about making the Philippines a reliable node in global supply chains,” he said.
The president said opportunities exist across multiple sectors, including electronics, aerospace components, medical device manufacturing, food processing and other high-value manufacturing industries.
Marcos also highlighted opportunities in financial services, noting that a large portion of the Philippine population remains underserved by traditional banking. He said the rapid expansion of fintech, digital payments, microfinance and mass-market insurance products makes the sector ripe for innovation and investment.
The government is working to deepen the country’s capital markets and attract global technology firms, data center operators and hyperscalers as the digital economy continues to expand, Marcos said.
”We are not waiting to be discovered. We are making the case, actively and deliberately, that the Philippines is where you want to be,” he added.
Those who attended the reception included members of the US-Philippines Society, the US-Asean Business Council and the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce, as well as US businessmen and the Philippine business delegation.
