On October 29, 2026, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited and inaugurated the manufacturing and assembly plant of Sazgar Philippines Inc. in Biñan, Laguna (Laguna International Industrial Park, Barangay Mamplasan). He toured the assembly line, inspected completed units, and personally test-drove one of the electric three-wheelers.
Sazgar Philippines is the first overseas manufacturing facility of Pakistan’s Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (founded in Lahore in 1991) and is positioned as its hub for Southeast Asia.
The plant has an annual assembly capacity of approximately 12,000 three-wheeled vehicles (passenger and commercial), with an initial production mix projected at 60% electric and 40% internal combustion engine (ICE) models; the electric share is expected to rise with demand.
The company is 60% Filipino-owned. It qualified for incentives under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan because it adds local value (at least a quarter of each unit’s value, with the Board of Investments projecting more).
Components and completely knocked-down kits are currently imported from Pakistan for assembly and testing in Laguna.
Government and Company Perspective
Marcos framed the plant as supporting domestic manufacturing, job creation, and the shift to cleaner transport. He highlighted practical benefits for tricycle drivers: the electric models can travel 100–210 km on a single charge (typically covering daily urban routes of about 90 km or provincial routes of 110–120 km), with a full charge taking 6–8 hours.
This, he said, reduces dependence on gasoline and allows drivers to retain more of their earnings for their families. “Mas mababang gastos sa gasolina, mas malaki ang maiuuwi sa ating mga pamilya,” he stated. He also noted the broader energy-security angle: every electric vehicle means less reliance on imported fuel.
He praised the investment for creating local employment and opportunities for Filipino suppliers (batteries, glass, seat foam, upholstery, rubber, lubricants, and related parts) and for aligning with the goal of a 50% electric-vehicle share in the national fleet by 2040.
“That is the kind of investment that we want. Not just companies that sell to Filipinos, but companies that make things with Filipinos,” Marcos said.
He noted that Sazgar chose the Philippines as its first home outside Pakistan and its Southeast Asian hub, placing confidence in the country.
Sazgar Philippines President and CEO Muhammad Fahim described the Philippines as one of the best places for investors and said the company plans to support the government’s EV program through local manufacturing, workforce training, partnerships with Philippine suppliers, and eventual exports within the region.
Pakistani official and media coverage celebrated the move as an expansion of Pakistan’s manufacturing reach into international markets, facilitated in part by the Pakistani embassy.
The Other Side: Localization Pressure and Questions
Marcos himself issued a clear challenge on local content. “At present, many of your parts still come from abroad. I ask you to grow your Filipino supply chain year after year,” he said, noting the company’s expectation of moving toward fully local parts within about a year and pledging government cooperation.
This underscores that the current model relies significantly on imported kits and components rather than full local manufacturing from the outset.
Some online and social-media reactions reflected broader political polarization around Marcos-era projects, while a few comments questioned the depth of “manufacturing” versus assembly of imported kits and raised practical concerns about charging infrastructure, battery costs/maintenance, and whether the vehicles would meaningfully displace existing gasoline tricycles at scale.
Supporters of deeper localization argue that incentives and political attention should translate into measurable technology transfer, higher domestic value-add, and sustained jobs beyond initial assembly.
The plant represents a concrete step in the Philippines’ EV and manufacturing push and a milestone for a Pakistani three-wheeler maker expanding abroad. Its longer-term impact will depend on how quickly and thoroughly local supply chains develop, how competitive the units prove on price and reliability for drivers, and whether supporting infrastructure (charging, after-sales) keeps pace.
