Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) has solidified plans to invest P7 billion in the Philippines over the next five years, the company said on Tuesday.
MMPC, the second largest local auto assembler in the country, said the P7 billion investment will be used to support the introduction of a new model that will be manufactured in the company’s Sta. Rosa, Laguna’s production facility, as well as its participation in the government’s investment programs.
The car production plan was first announced in February.
The company said the investment will enable the plant, which currently has an annual capacity of 50,000 units, to accommodate the new model and meet growing local demand.
MMPC did not disclose the specifications of the new model or the adjustments required by its manufacturing facility. It currently assembles the Mirage compact sedan and the L300 van.
The planned investment aligns with the company’s interest in participating in government incentive programs for local car manufacturers.
Part of the investment also aims to generate new employment opportunities, contribute to the government’s goal to boost industrial development, and retain the position of the Philippines as one of the brand’s key markets in the Asean region,” MMPC said.
In a separate statement issued also on Tuesday, MMPC said it discussed its plans with the Board of Investments (BOI) during a meeting with Executive Director Corazon Halili-Dichosa at the agency’s Makati office last month.
“The meeting underscored MMPC’s intent to remain one of the leading companies in the country’s rapidly expanding automotive sector,” MMPC said.
As one of the most active investors in local automobile manufacturing, MMPC has poured more than P11.6 billion into its local production and operations over the past 10 years, it said.
MMPC said it will ensure that the Philippines remains a major contributor to Mitsubishi Motors’ Asean performance and global presence.
The company also said it supports BOI initiatives to drive industry growth, particularly programs designed to bolster the country’s investment climate through the strategic alignment of incentives, streamlined regulatory procedures, and broader support mechanisms for high-impact and innovation-driven industries.
On February 6, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) issued a statement saying that Takao Kato, president and chief executive officer of MMC, discussed the company’s plans to invest in a new production line at MMPC’s Laguna facility with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a courtesy call.
The PCO said the President expressed hope that MMC would participate in the government’s Revitalizing the Automotive Industry for Competitiveness Enhancement (RACE) Program, a proposed new version of the defunct Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program.
Kato was quoted in the PCO statement as saying the Philippines is MMC’s most important investment in Southeast Asia and the number one market in the region.
MMPC did not provide the figures, but based on a May 20, 2025, statement, MMPC posted a 12 percent increase in sales to 91,639 units in fiscal year (FY) 2024, ending March 2025, from 81,814 units in FY 2023. This marked a second consecutive year of record sales for MMPC.
The MMPC production facility in Rosa, Laguna, has an annual capacity of 50,000 units, with a potential to reach 100,000 units per year, the PCO stated in the announcement.
MMPC was the second-largest automotive assembler in the Philippines in 2024, with sales of 89,124 units, accounting for 19 percent of the market.
