Taiwan’s ASE expands Philippine chip manufacturing hub

A Taiwan-based semiconductor manufacturer is preparing to expand its Philippine operations, with plans to build a new facility and hire more workers at its Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza)-registered site.

Peza said on Wednesday that the local unit of ASE Co. Ltd. was planning to construct a 26,000-square-meter facility. This move is expected to boost exports, generate additional jobs and deepen the Philippines’ role in the semiconductor supply chain.

This planned expansion would add to ASE’s existing operations at Gateway Business Park Special Economic Zone in General Trias, Cavite, where the company currently employs 825 workers, Peza said.

Beyond capacity expansion, Peza said the company also planned to set up the ASE Institute, a training platform focused on developing entry-level engineers and supporting the upskilling of its local workforce.

Peza said it has encouraged ASE to participate in the agency’s Artificial Intelligence Academy, with the potential to integrate the company’s internal training programs and strengthen the partnership between industry and academic institutions.

“We want to pursue an industry-wide approach to human resource development for our Peza-registered business enterprises,” Peza Director General Tereso Panga said.

“Strong linkages with universities and colleges are crucial in strengthening the supply chain and sustaining high-technology industries,” Panga added.

ASE has operated in the Philippines for nearly three decades. It specializes in manufacturing semiconductors used in automotive, industrial and Internet of Things applications.

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Its Philippine operations also conduct advanced testing and validation of chips.

The company’s planned expansion is expected to further widen Peza’s manufacturing base, which amounted to P150.52 billion or 57.69 percent of the agency’s total approved investments in 2025.

It is also poised to strengthen Peza’s export revenues, which rose 145.73 percent to $11.52 billion in 2025.

Semiconductors account for about 70 percent of Philippine exports, with industry shipments projected to have reached about $48 billion in 2025. This would mark a 12.31-percent increase from $42.74 billion in 2024.