P&G eyes RP as Asian hub

On the occasion of its 70th year of doing business in the Philippines, US manufacturing giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has pledged to put up P1.5 billion in additional investments into its Laguna plant over the next three years in a bid to make the country a major manufacturing and service hub for the Asian region.

The company’s expansion plan was bared during its 70th anniversary celebration Thursday night at the Westin Philippine Plaza with President Arroyo as guest of honor.

The President led the other guests at the ceremonial switching-on of a "picture-model" of P&G’s Cabuyao, Laguna plant symbolizing the company’s promise to pump up its investments in the country.

P&G officials also said they would make the Philippines the regional source and exporter of their paper products (such as diapers and sanitary napkins), toilet soaps, dishwashing liquid and detergent products to other Asian countries.

In line with its goal of making the Philippines a regional hub, P&G will expand the operations of its Manila Service Center (MSC) by providing support services (accounting and financial services, employee services, workplace services and IT services) to more P&G operations worldwide including Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The additional investment is expected to boost economic gains in the country while simultaneously generating more jobs for the residents of Laguna and its neighboring provinces.

According to Alan Lafley, P&G president and chief executive officer, the additional investment covers the company’s planned expansion projects and the addition of services "in areas like accounting and business information to more P&G operations in other parts of the world" over the next three years.

Mrs. Arroyo, together with Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Juan Santos, presented to P&G the Gawad Perlas ng Silangan (Order of the Pearl of the Orient) award in "recognition of its invaluable contribution to the country and its sustained confidence in and commitment to the Filipino worker."

Aside from the additional investment, P&G also said that it would be donating 70 houses to the Gawad Kalinga program in support of the government’s housing projects for the poor.

The houses, which will be built near the company’s plant in Cabuyao, are part of P&G’s commitment to nation-building and the upliftment of the communities it serves.

P&G is  the leading maker of household products that markets approximately 250 brands to nearly five billion consumers in more than 130 countries around the globe.

The company was founded in 1837 and grew into a multi-million dollar corporation before the turn of the century. Today, P&G has operations in more than 70 countries and employs more than 106,000 people worldwide. It is among the top 10 patent-producing companies in the world – well ahead of any other consumer products company.