The government is looking at veteran automotive manufacturer MD Juan Enterprises Inc. as a potential production base for locally made electric vehicles, starting with electric tricycles and eventually moving into electric jeepneys.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. inspected MD Juan’s manufacturing facility in Caloocan City on Tuesday to assess its existing capabilities and determine what equipment and government support are needed to begin local EV production.
“We are looking at the facilities, what is already here, what is lacking, and what else will be supported by our DOST (Department of Science and Technology), by the national government, so that we can manufacture electric vehicles here in the Philippines,” Marcos said.
The initiative aims to build on MD Juan’s long experience in vehicle manufacturing, including the production and restoration of military-style jeeps, as the government seeks to develop an EV with more locally sourced components and manufacturing capabilities.
Marcos said the government would work with technical consultants to identify and install equipment needed to support EV fabrication at the facility.
“I believe that we will soon be seeing a Filipino electric vehicle, tricycle, and maybe down the road, we can make a jeepney,” he said.
The push comes as the government seeks to expand domestic EV manufacturing and reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products.
Developing local production could also create opportunities for Filipino manufacturers and suppliers to participate in the EV supply chain, from vehicle fabrication to components and related technologies.
For the transport sector, locally produced electric tricycles and jeepneys could offer another route toward cleaner public transportation while reducing exposure to volatile fuel costs.
Marcos said the shift could provide greater economic stability for drivers, whose incomes can be squeezed when gasoline and diesel prices rise.
The initiative also reflects a broader government effort to move beyond simply increasing EV adoption toward building an industry around electric mobility.
For MD Juan, that could mean turning its decades of automotive experience into a new-generation manufacturing platform. For the Philippines, the ambition is more straightforward: make more of the vehicle at home, keep more of the value chain in the country, and put Filipino-made EVs on Philippine roads.
