MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. continues to reap the fruits of his foreign trips, particularly to Belgium during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-European Union (EU) Summit in December last year, as he led on Friday the inauguration of a new factory of Unilever in Cavite.

“I would like to note that this major investment is amongst the pledges that we received during our trip to Belgium for the ASEAN-EU Summit last December,” President Marcos said in his speech during the inauguration of Unilever’s New Beauty, Well-Being, and Personal Care Factory (BWPC).

President Marcos met with the officials of the British multinational company, Unilever, in December 2022 during his visit to Brussels, Belgium, where Unilever committed PhP4.7 billion worth of investments.

The new plant will cater to both domestic and export demands of its products with a target of nearly 90,000 tons of various personal care products for hair and skin to be manufactured and distributed annually.

President Marcos said that the Philippines is now taking a step closer to the Filipino people’s collective vision of a more progressive, empowered, and sustainable new Philippines with the inauguration of the BWPC.

“To see this project come to fruition after just several months is not only encouraging, it also inspires me and the rest of the government to work even harder for the Filipino people,” the chief executive added.

The President commended Unilever Philippines for the establishment of its high-technology and sustainability-driven manufacturing facility for personal care products as he emphasized that it is a shared effort between the government and private sector in strengthening the country’s manufacturing industry.

President Marcos also emphasized that the strengthened ties between the government and the private sector will also create jobs and gainful opportunities for the Filipino people.
“It is also worth mentioning that this plant is one of Unilever’s largest personal care facilities in the world and is expected to generate over 5,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities for our countrymen,” President Marcos said.

“So, I extend my gratitude once again to Unilever for your continued trust and confidence in the Philippines and in the talent of the Filipino people… I also express my admiration for your commitment to expand your footprint and champion inclusivity and social responsibility by making products more accessible and affordable,” he added.

President Marcos also thanked Unilever for their continued trust and confidence in the Philippines and in the talent of the Filipinos as he hopes that the realization of the investment would also be a vote for the trust and confidence of other foreign firms to invest in the country.

“It is very important that this serve also as a vote of confidence, not only for Unilever, but also a vote of confidence for other investors who would like to come in when such an important facility such as this has been put up still here in the Philippines. I’m sure it will help to encourage other groups to come in and do the same,” President Marcos said.

Among attendees of the inauguration were Unilever’s Chairman and CEO Benjie Yap, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual, and officials and representatives from the local government unit. (PND)