P&G plans to further expand Philippine business

MANILA, Philippines - Procter & Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest household products maker, plans to further expand its operations in the Philippines as it remains a dominant player in the local market.

In an interview yesterday, P&G Asia president Hatsunori Kiriyama said they view the Philippines as their most important market in Southeast Asia and will continue to do so in the coming years.

“Philippines is one of the most accelerating regions in terms of our business. Therefore, we’ve been putting Philippines as a top priority in our operations,” Kiriyama said.

P&G Philippines is the global brand’s second oldest operations following the US and its third largest market in Asia in terms of sales next to China and Japan.

“The business will expand definitely. In a business point of view, we will expand more and invest more for sure. I also want to develop more Filipinos. We have a very strong talent here,” Kiriyama said, without disclosing specific plans for the country.

With 80 years of operations in the Philippines, Kiriyama said P&G Philippines is still poised for growth.

He said the company intends to introduce more products locally across its over 80 global brands.

Likewise, Kiriyama said the company plans to maintain its position as a strong number one or number two in different categories it competes in.

“We still see a lot of growth potential not just for our business but also for the country. It is a hot country right now. The Philippine economy has been growing very strongly and the forecast is also very strong. We feel that this country has huge growth potential and we already have a big operation here (to take advantage of the growth),” Kiriyama said.

P&G Philippines has a manufacturing plant in Cabuyao, Laguna, which serves both the domestic and international markets.

P&G has over 170,000 employees and presence in 80 countries worldwide. It is behind leading brands such as Ariel, Downy, Duracell,Gilette, Head &Shoulders, Olay, Oral-B, Pampers, Pantene, Tide, Vicks, and Whisper, among others.