DuPont growth seen to hinge on PH economy

MANILA, Philippines—Dupont aims to grow two to three times the rate of the Philippines’ economic expansion, said a top company official.

“How much we grow depends on how much the local markets grow. Although we have historically achieved double-digit expansion, our aspiration for Asean and for the Philippines is to grow two to three times the GDP (gross domestic product) rate of the region and the country,” said Ramon S. Abadilla, country managing director of DuPont Far East Inc.

Aside from engaging in agriculture and crop protection in the Philippines, the company that specializes in science-based products and services plans to go into energy solutions to curb global dependence on fossil fuels, as well as safety products such as protective industrial gear, Abadilla said in an interview.

With regional economic integration looming, DuPont is well positioned to offer technologies for value-added production, ranging from aromatic hybrid rice to oil and gas protection suits and even biomass power production, he added.

For its energy-related ventures, DuPont is pushing solar power solutions for households (rooftop installations) and farms (solar pumps).

Local unit DuPont Far East Inc. Philippines recently launched its first 131-kilowatt solar rooftop project at the DuPont Pioneer corn seed production plant in Tarlac to showcase the technology. The project is expected to generate some 194,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year and offset carbon dioxide emissions, according to DuPont.