Group urges gov't to fast-track automotive roadmap

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Automotive Industry Workers Alliance (AIWA) today called on Philippine government to address the high cost of doing business in the country to encourage more investment to come in and create more jobs for Filipinos.

"With the roadmap finalized, we see hope for the auto industry to become a global player in the future. This is why AIWA remains supportive of the government's initiatives towards promoting the interest of both workers and employers in the industry," the alliance president Angel Dimalanta said in a statement.

The alliance has advocated the survival of the auto assembly and will continue to fight for the expansion and security of employment of the highly-skilled automotive industry workers.

The 1st quarter of 2013 showed that the manufacturing grew by 20.4 percent and has drawn in P3.4 billion ($78.89 million) worth of investment.

The group noted that with capital formation on the rise, it is expected that the growing manufacturing sector will propel growth in the number of high-quality jobs in the country.