Tokyo, Japan – MDPPA officers attended the 23rd meeting of the AEM-METI Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC) Working Group on Automobile Industry (WG-AI) which was held on October 31 to November 1, 2023, as part of the Philippine delegation, alongside its industry counterparts from the automotive sector.
The said meeting was headed by Mr. Ryosuke Fujioka, Chief Representative of the AMEICC Secretariat, with co-chairpersons Mr. Takanori Kikuchi, Director from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Japan and Ms. Takako Kubo, Chair of the Asia Experts Group of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JAMA).
In attendance were representatives from the government and the private sector of various ASEAN Member States, such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam.
Picture 1. AMEICC Delegates from ASEAN Member States and Japan
The discussions focused on the growing popularity of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and challenges posted by the development towards this direction. It also underlined the automotive industry’s commitment, with JAMA at the helm, to perform maximum efforts towards carbon neutrality by 2050 through a multi-pathway approach. JAMA and industry stakeholders committed to the development of technologies that further reduce automotive CO2 emissions, so that the industry can provide optimal choices for consumers in countries/regions worldwide. A technology-neutral approach shall be crucial to achieving this goal.
The MDPPA team was led by Mr. Norminio Mojica, the president of MDPPA, and joined by Mr. Andrew Angeles and Ms. Lisette Fajardo from the Government Committee, and Mr. Crisanto Malaiba, Secretary General. Representatives from Car Manufacturers Association (CAMPI), Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), Electric Vehicle Association of the Phils. (EVAP) also participated in the meeting.
Picture 2. Philippine Delegates to AMEICC WG-AI
Prior to the AMEICC WG-AI meeting, the team met with their counterparts from Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) and discussed and benchmarked on the two important issues on Carbon Neutrality and Electric Vehicle. Part of the itinerary was the tour at the Japan Mobility Show at the Tokyo Big Sight Dome.
Picture 3. MDPPA Team at the Japan Mobility Show