Where Next Part 2

Sunday I mentioned one of the possibilities of the next place after China being the Philippines.  I'm sure that may have elicited a bit of laughter from China Business watchers, and to tell the truth I was a bit skeptical myself when the idea first came across.

However, one of the "breakfast crew" send over this article from The China Post by Howard Lin, entitled "Businessmen Find Haven in Central RP Amid Rising Costs"

Because of the problems of higher labor costs, taxes and the appreciating Yaun, many Taiwanese businessmen are looking for other manufacturing locations.

They might want to listen to some of their fellow entrepreneurs who have invested in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) in the central Philippines.
As with any location, problems exist, but to hear Taiwanese investors tell it, Filipino workers are obedient, loyal and easy to communicate with, and companies benefit from tax breaks, freedom from political interference and a pristine natural environment.
The MEZ, established on Jan. 15, 1979, is one of four government-owned zones under the administration of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Covering a land area of 150 hectares, it is only 500 meters away from the international airport and 14 kilometers away from a port.
The zone,which began with two tenants in 1980 --TMX Philippines, Inc. and Fairchild Semiconductor -- was home to 108 companies employing 49,943 workers as of the end of December, 2007.
Among the 108 companies operating there, 54 percent are Japanese, 16 percent are Filipino and 12 percent are Taiwanese-owned businesses.
The Philippines often trails behind China, Vietnam, Indonesia and India as a "hot" destination for new manufacturing investments, in part because of concerns over labor quality and personal safety, but Taiwanese investors in the MEZ have found Filipino workers and the environment provided by the Philippine government to their liking.

There's more to the story, and some great tips on how to deal with Filipino employees, and quality of life in general.

Will be interesting to see if this becomes a viable alternative manufacturing location in the near future