In a speech delivered at a dinner function attended by government officials and media, Kleisterlee stated that Philips maintains its support for its business interests in the Philippines and that the country will play an important part in the company’s long-term goals.
"Our mission is to continually enhance people’s lives through technology and innovation. We know that the Philippines can contribute to this mission," said Kleisterlee. "This visit is, among other things, an opportunity for me to discuss locally how we can remain focused on our long-term vision."
Kleisterlee also talked about the need to continue to explore new markets. "Our attention to the Asia Pacific region is an extremely sound geographic strategy, and we continue to explore all opportunities in the region," he said.
In the region, Kleisterlee emphasized that the Philippines plays an important role for Philips. A major investor in the Philippines, Philips is an important Filipino employer and has boosted export revenues for the country. The Philippines is a major supply center for Philips, where key components for the company’s business are manufactured and exported.
Locally, the company has six business divisions (Philips Components, Philips Consumer Electronics, Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care, Philips Lighting, Philips Medical Systems, and Philips Semiconductors) responsible for a broad range of products.
Besides business opportunities, the presence of Philips in the Philippines has benefited Filipinos in other ways. Kleisterlee praised Philips Philippines for their efforts in keeping the corporate commitment "Let’s make things better" alive in many projects to help Filipinos, including "Philips, Education and People," where Philips Philippines helps build educational centers in selected public school areas to contribute in uplifting Department of Education, Culture and Sports, allows Philips to sponsor Philips Educational rooms equipped with Philips products such as TV sets, VCD players, educational VCDs, complete lighting fixtures and computers.
Philips was recently awarded as one of the top best employers in the Philippines in a study conducted by Hewitt Associates, the Asian Wall Street Journal, and the Far Eastern Economic Review.