The Philippines is fast emerging as a serious player in the global semiconductor industry—not just in traditional assembly and test packaging (ATP), but increasingly in high-value services, including integrated circuit (IC) design.
This rising capability took center stage on June 5 at the Philippine Sectoral Briefing on IC Design in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, held at the High Tech Campus—the heart of Dutch innovation.
The event, organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Brussels (PTIC-Brussels) in partnership with Xinyx Design and High Tech NL, brought together Dutch semiconductor leaders from companies such as ASML, NXP, and Axelera to explore the Philippines’ growing potential as a design hub in Asia.
Frederick D. Go, Special Assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and chair of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council (SEIAC), has emphasized IC design as a priority segment.
SEIAC, created via Administrative Order No. 31, aims to create 128,000 new jobs by 2030 and position the Philippines as a global innovation player.
Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya opened the session by underscoring the shift from low-cost labor to value-driven engineering services. “The Philippines is not only a rising partner in the global IC design landscape—it is a country with talent, resilience, and ambition deeply wired into its DNA,” he said.
Dutch stakeholders were particularly interested in testimonials from companies already reaping the benefits of Philippine operations.
Coen Smits, VP for finance of Ampleon, a global radio frequency power technologies leader, highlighted the advantages of its Philippine facility, which has been operational since 2015.
Fully powered by renewable energy and backed by PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) incentives, the site plays a crucial role in Ampleon’s supply chain.
Xinyx Design, a Philippine-born IC design firm, also showcased its story—from serving global tech clients to establishing a European office in Eindhoven in 2022.
Xinyx operations manager Juan Luis Ng and LABS administrator Genevieve Bautista, presented the company’s initiatives such as LABS by Xinyx, Campus Connect, and Xinyx Unlocked, underscoring its investment in Filipino talent and university partnerships.
Cultural values were also part of the conversation. Jullien Avondo of Silicon Verified Consultancy Inc. cited Filipino concepts like bayan, bayani, and bayanihan, linking these to emotional intelligence and collaboration in the engineering workforce.
Wrapping up the event, Dr. Luis Alarcon of UP’s Center for Integrated Design and Research (CIDR) emphasized the triple helix model—university, industry, and government—needed to push the Philippines up the tech value chain.
Led by Philippine Commercial Counsellor Magnolia Misolas-Ashley, the briefing ended with a networking session attended by top Dutch semiconductor firms and partners, reflecting the strong potential for R&D collaboration, talent exchange, and joint innovation between the two countries. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma, Insider PH