THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it partnered with its Japanese counterpart, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), to accelerate the adoption of an electronic vehicle (EV) battery and charging system standard for the Philippines.
“International collaboration is essential in harmonizing EV battery standards, especially regarding safety,” Acting Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque said in a statement over the weekend.
“With the growing consumer demand for EVs and our vision of establishing a more sustainable transportation system, the DTI under Bagong Pilipinas remains committed to ensuring that our EV industry meets the highest quality and safety standards,” she added.
Aside from making the market more competitive and sustainable, standardization is also expected to help attract investors.
Through the partnership, the DTI’s Bureau of Philippine Standards (BPS) and METI conferred to find ways to improve product quality in Philippine EVs and develop its battery industry, which included efforts to arrive at a single standard.
“We in the DTI-Fair Trade Group express our sincere appreciation to our Japanese partners for sharing valuable insights on the most recent technologies and strategies,” Assistant Secretary Agaton Teodoro O. Uvero said.
“This knowledge transfer will empower local manufacturers and industries and ultimately advance the Philippine EV sector,” he added.
The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act tasks the BPS to develop and adopt standards for EV batteries and charging systems.
In a separate statement, the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport) said that the BPS is also soliciting recommendations on textile standards.
“In a notice, the BPS identified five international standards on textiles published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that are intended for adoption as Philippine National Standards (PNS),” Philexport said in a statement over the weekend. — Justine Irish D. Tabile