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60 SMT Magazine • December 2015 Tan: The big ones that we just concluded was the CEO Forum, which was actually held in Malacanang and was keynoted by the Philip- pine President himself. We do this once a year in October. The other big event is around June, and that is the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Convention and Exhibition (PSE- CE), where we have a fair with exhibitors from all over the world, and with different technical forums by the different networking commit- tees, which provide information that is happen- ing in the different facets of our business. Las Marias: What are the top benefits that seipi brings to members? Tan: The government policies are key in being able to either be a catalyst for growth or a barri- er for the industry. A lot of times, the lawmakers and all the people will always have good inten- tions, but not really think through the effects of these policies. So the association is the one that actually oversees all of these different rules and regulations that the government is trying to implement, and make sure that these are prop- erly heard and reviewed before any of them are implemented. The second one is the ability to be able to access best practices. We are able to provide as- sistance to small and emerging companies that want to get better, because we have large insti- tutions that already have the wherewithal and the experience—so then it becomes a teaching organization. That's another benefit. I think the other one is that it's a very struc- tured and organized association. It's been op- erating for more than 30 years now, so there's a lot of knowledge that's already been incor- porated into the organization. We are always asked to sit, not only at a national, but also at a global table for defining the rules or policies that would affect not only the business but also the environment and the community. Those are the things that I think are critical. Las Marias: does membership require a cost? Tan: It's a variable cost. Depending on the size of your organization, the number of employees that you have, the amount of revenue that your company makes, there's an appropriate member- ship fee to it. So it's not a flat fee for everybody; it actually depends on the size of the company. Las Marias: What resources are available or are being provided by the association to its members? Tan: The association serves as an intermediary between the different companies and the gov- ernment. So if you are just a small company and you have an issue with a government agency, chances are you are not going to be heard. But if you are a member of SEIPI, you are represented by a 300-strong largest export dollar industry for the country, and your issues are noticed. That's the biggest advantage that SEIPI brings. FeATure inTerview SeIPI: FUeLInG comPAnIeS' TrAnSITIon To GLobAL PLAyerS