CHAPTER 136: INTERVIEW PART 2

"I see, of course in the tech industry, you’d want to protect your technology from others in order for it not to be copied," Mel chuckled as she thought of something to change the topic.

"So next question, what do you think of the tech industry in the Philippines? Or the Philippine Stock Exchange as a whole? The reason I’m asking is that your company saved the stock exchange and is currently ranked first in stocks."

Timothy nodded slightly before answering, finally a normal question.

"The Philippine Stock Exchange has been in decline since 2025," he began. "And I don’t say that to criticize anyone, it’s just reality. Investors lost confidence not because the country lacks talent, but because the market stayed stuck in the past."

He looked straight into the camera as he continued, "We have a system dominated by the same conservative companies — old conglomerates that control energy, utilities, and real estate. There’s nothing wrong with them, they built this nation’s backbone. But when you want progress, when you want innovation — you need new blood. And for years, no one was stepping up."

Mel leaned slightly forward, listening intently.

"The problem," Timothy continued, "wasn’t that the Philippines lacked startups or inventors. It’s that they never got a chance. No one invested in them. No one took risks. Everyone was content letting the same handful of corporations decide the country’s future. So the exchange stagnated, not because we were poor, but because we stopped trying."

He paused, letting his words sink in before finishing softly, "That’s why TG Motors had to prove it could be done, that a Filipino company could break out of that mold, go public globally, and still stay rooted here."

"That’s an insightful answer, Mr. Guerrero. We all know that TG Motors are in the path of dominating the EV market in the world. How would you make sure that you keep up with the growing demand for your vehicles?"

"Well, we already planned for our expansion, building gigafactories in different countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Also in Europe and America. The funds that we will be getting from the stock market are the ones we are going to use to fund those projects."

"But why not build those gigafactories in the Philippines? Why do you have to build it abroad?"

"Because there are advantages. If we want to be a global company, we need to be where the markets are. Building gigafactories abroad means faster logistics, lower shipping costs, and direct access to regional suppliers and consumers. If we manufacture vehicles for Europe, it’s more efficient to assemble them there rather than shipping every single unit from the Philippines."

He leaned slightly forward, continuing, "There’s also the matter of trade tariffs and regional regulations. Producing locally in those markets lets us bypass import taxes and comply with their standards more effectively. That kind of flexibility is what makes companies like Tesla or BYD competitive, and we’re following the same principle, but with our own systems and technologies."

Mel nodded. "So it’s a matter of strategic positioning."

"Exactly," Timothy said. "But that doesn’t mean we’re abandoning the Philippines. In fact, once the foundation is strong enough, I want multiple gigafactories here. The Philippines will remain the center of our design, innovation, and R&D network. That’s never changing."

"It’s good to hear that. Now, how about in your semiconductor enterprise? The joint venture between you and NVIDIA?"

"The Aurion huh?" Timothy rubbed his chin as he contemplated. Seconds later, he answered. "The Aurion is the future of the semiconductor industry. I will say that we have an advanced chip design than in the current market and whatever companies have in their laboratory. As technology advances, so does the demand for computing. And with the advent of AI in the world and the world realizing its strategic importance, I’d say there will be never-ending demands from the top global companies."

Mel smiled after hearing that, there was a sense of pride swelling in her smile.

"So, the Aurion Fab in Batangas, are you hinting that there’d be more?"

Timothy nodded. "Yes, in fact we have already secured funding with it. We are planning to build three more fabrication sites across the Philippines. One in Subic which is near the Subic Gigafactory, the other would be in Cebu and Davao. But of course, we’ll have to talk to whoever is in charge in the city first before we actually get to build it. I believe they’ll accommodate it because looking at Subic right now, their GDP contribution quintipled and their way of life increased. Having our facilities built in any city would mean massive profits."

"That’s good to hear, Mr. Guerrero. I am so stoked hearing that a fellow Filipino is elevating the status of our country."

"It is a pleasure," Timothy smiled.

"Will your semiconductor go public when the time comes?" she asked.

"Of course, there’s no doubt about it. It’s a trillion-dollar industry," Timothy said confidently. "The semiconductor field isn’t just about chips anymore, it’s the backbone of every modern economy. Phones, cars, AI servers, even defense systems, they all rely on it. The Aurion project was born from that understanding. We can’t let the Philippines just be an assembly line nation forever. We have to manufacture, innovate, and lead."

Mel nodded, impressed. "So you’re saying the Philippines can be a semiconductor powerhouse?"

Timothy smiled faintly. "It already can. We have the engineers, the math graduates, the creativity. What we’ve been missing is infrastructure, consistency, and courage. Those are the things my company is trying to rebuild piece by piece. Once our second and third fabs go online, you’ll see a regional supply chain that rivals Taiwan’s mid-tier ecosystem. And when the time is right, yes, the semiconductor division will have its own public listing. It’ll be open for Filipino investors first and then to Nasdaq."

Mel’s smile widened. "You’re giving a lot of hope to young professionals watching tonight."

"That’s the point," Timothy replied. "If even one student out there decides to pursue engineering instead of leaving the country, then everything we’re doing is already worth it. In fact, we are going to need more engineers in the coming years because before all of this, we are facing a problem potentially stopping us from growing."

Mel leaned forward curiously and asked. "What is it?"

"Energy," Timothy revealed.