By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

Murata Electronics Manufacturing is planning of expanding its existing operations in the country provided they like the final TRABAHO Bill’s tax incentives regime, according to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

Charito B. Plaza, PEZA Director-General, took to FaceBook to announce her latest investment commitment from Murata.

“The P40-B is for MURATA’s expansion of buildings and new products but they’re holding to it until they’ll know fate of Train 2,” Plaza said. TRAIN 2, which has been renamed to TRABAHO Bill, seeks to reduce tax incentives to investors, remove the distinction between export and domestic-oriented enterprises.

The Japanese firm is currently occupying 24 hectares with 2 manufacturing buildings in the First Philippine Industrial Park in Sto. Tomas, Batangas employing 2,948 Filipinos.

“It is planning to expand to two more buildings once incentives remain the same or an attractive TRAIN 2 incentives will be passed,” she said. The planned expansion, she said, is expected to generate 6,000 workers.

Murata’s local unit Philippine Manufacturing Co. started commercial operation of its ceramic capacitor production plant in FPIP in 2013. The P3-billion Philippine plant was deemed its largest site in Asia.

The factory is capable of producing a variety of models of capacitors, especially with the growing demand of mobile phones. The multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) is an electronic component that stores and releases electrical energy that stabilizes voltage by going through a charge-discharge cycle, and is widely used to absorb noise and detect signals of certain frequencies. Chip type multilayer capacitors are essential components for electronic equipment.

It has several uses in electronics products particularly mobile phones, PC and computers. For instance, more than 500 monolithic ceramic capacitors are assembled into one latest smart phone. The Japanese firm is a key electronic component supplier in the industry, leading in both the market and technology.

Its chip components are also used in other devices such as computers, flat screen TV sets, digital cameras, automotive electronic systems and home appliances.