Electronics exports seen breaching $50-B mark

MANILA, Philippine — Surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to propel the Philippines’ biggest export industry to a record year, with the country’s top semiconductor group projecting electronics shipments to surpass the $50-billion mark for the first time.

According to Danilo Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc. (Seipi), the industry expects exports to reach $53 billion to $54 billion in 2026, up from about $49.6 billion in 2025.

READ: Philippines’ semiconductors sector risks stagnation

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The latest outlook marks an upgrade from Seipi’s earlier projection of flat growth, which it revised upward after stronger-than-expected industry performance in the first half despite geopolitical tensions and a challenging global macroeconomic environment.

“Initially, the projection was flat, but we upped it to 10 percent,” Lachica told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing in New Clark City.

Semiconductors account for about 70 percent of the Philippines’ electronics exports, he said.

Hong Kong remains the industry’s largest export market, followed by the United States and China.

READ: Gov’t boosts $110-B semiconductor export roadmap

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Lachica said the improved outlook is being driven primarily by soaring demand for data servers and other infrastructure supporting the expansion of AI.

Even so, he noted that the Philippines still does not manufacture AI chips itself, which requires wafer fabrication facilities that the country has yet to have.

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“We don’t produce AI chips in the Philippines,” he added. “However, the support equipment for AI, for data centers … that’s where we are now.” INQ