Govt to help MD Juan make electric cars, tricycles

President Ferdinand Marcos is aiming to propel MD Juan Enterprises Inc.’s foray into electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing by providing the 60-year-old traditional jeepney manufacturer with new pieces of equipment.

MD is a beneficiary of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), which provides micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) with seed fund for technology acquisition.

The beneficiaries of the SETUP also receive technical training and consultancy services, packaging and label design, database information systems, and support for establishment of product standards.

On Tuesday, Marcos visited the office of MD in Caloocan to witness the assessment done by DOST in the company to determine what it pieces of equipment it will need so it can manufacture electric tricycles and jeepneys.

“But right now, the reason we are here is to assess what needs to be done so that they will be capable of fabricating all-Filipino electric tricycles and electric jeepneys, should the need [for it] arise,” he said in Filipino.

“So, the next step is to put in some of the new equipment that is still necessary for the production of the electric vehicle.”

MD began its operations producing replacement and restoration parts for American military and civilian jeeps and now serves customers in the United States, Europe, and other international markets.

“MD Juan is recognized as a company with long-standing experience in this field; they are at the forefront of the technologies we need to assemble, fabricate, and manufacture electric vehicles—with everything sourced right here in the Philippines,” Marcos said.

The Marcos administration is currently pushing local EV production through Executive Order (EO) No. 121, which establishes the P60-billion Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) Program.

The chief executive said the local production will help mainstream EVs, which will reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products and the implementation of the government’s public utility vehicle  modernization efforts.