EVAP expresses support for renewed CARS Program, EVIS funding

MANILA: The Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) expressed its support for the recent joint press statement issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Finance (DOF). 

The said statement pertains to the assurance of funding for the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) Program and the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS), which now paints the country’s President as someone who will not abandon the Philippine auto industry, despite his earlier decision to veto the program’s grant. 

According to EVAP, it welcomes the government’s “clear assurance” that it will see to its obligations for companies involved in the said initiatives. In a previous report, Zigwheels Philippines noted that the new funding will come from the savings of the Department of Public Works and Highways last year. 

“For EVAP, this statement is extremely important because EVIS depends on a strong automotive manufacturing base. You cannot scale electric mobility if the underlying ecosystem — vehicle assembly, parts manufacturing, and supplier development — is weakened. This reassurance from DBM, DTI, and DOF strengthens confidence in the Philippines as a serious and reliable partner for long-term EV investments,” EVAP President Edmund Araga was quoted as saying. 

Per EVAP, the said statement underscores a clear direction for the local auto industry that will benefit EVIS and also strengthen investor confidence in the Philippines as a credible and predictable location for long-term industrial development. 

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Key to EV expansion 

In addition, the pro-electric vehicle (EV) organization stated that EV transition is not a standalone shift in technology, but a major industrial transformation that requires stability in the broader automotive sector. 

A functioning and competitive local auto industry — EVAP pointed out — is critical to enable the Philippines to expand EV adoption while also pursuing local value creation, including the development of EV parts and components, charging infrastructure, electrical systems, and future battery-related manufacturing. 

“EVIS is about building an entire electric mobility industry — not just importing EVs. That means we need continuity and credibility in government incentive programs. When the government honors commitments under CARS, it sends the right signal: the Philippines can be trusted, and industrial transformation under EVIS will be supported in a structured and responsible way,” Araga noted. 

“What we are protecting here is more than a budget line — this is about protecting manufacturing jobs, engineering skills, and supplier capabilities. These same Filipino capabilities will eventually support EV assembly, EV parts manufacturing, and the broader goals of EVIS. The country needs continuity of policy to transition successfully into the future of mobility,” he added. 

In conclusion, Araga explained that EVAP appreciates the firm statement from the aforementioned agencies’ (DBM, DOF, DTI) respective Secretaries. He also assured that EVAP stands ready to work with the government and industry to ensure that EVIS succeeds — because electric mobility is not just an environmental goal, it is an industrial competitiveness agenda for the Philippines. 

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