Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Inauguration of the ST Battalion (STB) Giga Factory

Speeches 30 September 2024

Thank you to the DTI Secretary Cris Roque. [Please take your seats.]

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Hae Kyong Yu; the StB Giga Factory Inc. Chairman Trevor Baker; the Bases Conversion Development Authority Chairman Thompson Lantion; Capas, Tarlac City Mayor Roseller Rodriguez; the Filinvest Development Corporation Vice Chairman Lourdes Josephine Gotianun-Yap; StB Giga Factory Inc. officials; fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

If you will notice you will not — I have this silly grin on my face and that is because this is really a very, very exciting day for us. And we have worked very hard and tried to do our best to bring this kind of technology to the Philippines with a clear recognition that this is the future. And today we see that — the future — we take a big step into the future.

So now we are — as you say entering a new age where the battery technology has taken — is front and center in all that we are trying to do.

When the term “lithium-iron-phosphate” came up, well we thought this is another complicated technology, and perhaps it belongs in very sophisticated operations such as space travel and the like.

However, that now is completely different because we have that technology now here in the Philippines. And this promises to be a first step in all that we are hoping to do. Not only to help and create jobs for Filipinos, not only to bring a transfer of technology to the Philippines but also because we now are able to do a very solid and serious step in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

This is something perhaps that we would hear — perhaps when we say — when we first heard this, this is something that just a scientist would be using… These are terms that only scientists would be using, but no longer. Because we are now in the middle of a technological storm.

We may not be launching rockets just yet, but despite the weather’s best attempts, we are stepping boldly into the future—a future that is sustainable, innovative, and transformative.

This inauguration of the StB Giga Factory is a remarkable example of what happens when our national agenda of promoting clean energy intersects with a solid commitment from the private sector.

Your Excellency Ambassador Yu, you hit the nail on the head there. This is the best example that we can show not only because we have finally brought it to fruition — but we brought it to fruition in what I considered to be record time.

In fact, this development is among the pledges that we received during the Philippine Business Forum in Australia, Melbourne, last March — in Canberra.

Six months later, we are witnessing how this pledge has come into reality.

I cannot overstate the importance of this investment. Hence, the silly grin on my face.

It sends this message to the world: The Philippines is now ready—to innovate, to lead, to become the go-to destination for high-tech, high-impact investments.

As the first manufacturing plant in the Philippines for advanced iron phosphate batteries, often used in renewable energy and electrical vehicles, the StB Giga Factory sets the stage for the Philippines to become a player in clean energy storage in our part of the world, in Southeast Asia, in our region.

Looking towards the future, when this factory reaches full capacity, it is expected to channel five billion pesos into the economy annually. It will create 2,500 jobs for Filipinos.

And these are not just regular jobs. These are — these are very important high-tech jobs which is where the jobs that… These are the quality jobs that we would like to bring to our countrymen.

So, from engineers and technicians to administrative personnel—it is about nurturing homegrown talent and offering opportunities that match the ambitions right here on our own soil.

When StB Giga hits full capacity by 2030, it will be producing two gigawatt-hours of batteries annually.

This is equivalent to around 18,000 electric vehicles, almost half a million home battery systems.

This facility runs in tandem with the Philippines’ renewable energy landscape, as we transition our country to renewable energy. Your products could help entice more investors in renewable energy facilities in the country. The upstream and the downstream businesses that will come from this are just going to be tremendous.

We also welcome StB Giga’s plan to enter the EV product market in the coming years. This certainly aligns with our plans to develop the country’s EV industry and produce locally-made EVs and EV components, reducing our reliance on imported fuel.

To promote local engineering talent — and this is another very exciting aspect to what we have opened here today — StB Giga also has committed to set up partnerships with Philippine academic and industry institutions.

We hear very much in this day and age about the transition into the digital space, the transition into high-tech industries. And the key to the success of that transition is — the buzzwords now are reskilling and upskilling. And that is why we hold very much importance to the training that will be received by our — by local Filipinos and who will be able to take that new skills, the new knowledge and bring it to operations such as this.

While renewable energy sources and… While they were once — and EVs were once seen as just options, they must now be our path forward to adapt and to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Every step that we make towards sustainable energy development is an investment in a brighter, healthier future for our children, for our country.

To the entire team behind the StB Giga Factory, thank you for taking this leap of faith with us. You have established a foundation for a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous Bagong Pilipinas.

And to the rest of us, I will say, don’t blink. Change is happening faster than you think, even when faced with challenges like Typhoon Julian.

While we are here discussing innovation, the government is working behind the scenes.

Thousands of family food packs are now being prepared, healthcare centers are on high alert, and our farmers and fisherfolk are taking steps to safeguard their livelihoods.

They are — Typhoon Julian is going to pass north of the Philippines. So, those in Regions 1, 2, and 3 as well as NCR and CAR— know that we are not just talking about resilience; we are making it happen.

So, if you are an entrepreneur, a startup, an industry leader wondering where to place your next big bet, look no further. We have the talent, certainly the determination, and now, the infrastructure to make your boldest ideas a reality—even if the weather tries to say otherwise.

Let us remember why we are doing this. Beyond the figures, and the projections, and the technology, it comes down to our shared responsibility to our environment and to the next generation.

Once again, congratulations to everyone who has been involved, both in the private and in the public sector, in making this a reality.

Maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat at sama-sama nating isulong ang isang mas matatag na Bagong Pilipinas!

Magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat. [applause]

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