When the world’s economy was upended by a global pandemic in 2020, all industries were affected. Boysen Philippines, Inc. Management and employees had to pivot in order to weather the storm. It was, therefore, a celebration for the company to reach a milestone two years ago in February 2023—Boysen turned 70 years old.
In mid-March this year, Boysen took part in Worldbex, the Philippines’ leading building and construct exposition. That was where I saw Vergel Dyoco, and wanted to know more about how the paint industry was navigating the turbulence in the global economy and the fluidity in geopolitical developments.
Vergel V. Dyoco is Boysen’s Marketing Manager, and has been with the company for 30 years. Here is our short Q&A about the Philippine paint industry.
The paint industry relies on the development of the construction industry. How does this look in the Philippines? Are we experiencing an expansion or contraction?
While the growth of the paint market is correlated with that of the construction industry, it is not entirely dependent on it. Repainting and renovation is a significant sector that falls below radar of the construction industry monitor. The market as a whole is going through the usual slowdown of having a wait-and-see period during national elections. The bursting of the POGO bubble also saw a redirection of developer investments from high-rise residential condominiums favoring commercial spaces. Ending the first quarter of the calendar year, gauging whether the scene is actually expanding or contracting is yet to be determined but most if not all businesses today are playing it safe.
What are the plans of the construction sector, for homes, commercial areas, public spaces?
As mentioned previously, some developers are reallocating resources. The construction industry remains to be one of the major drivers in economic growth. Creating townships is the trend by which the major developers go.
In light of ongoing tariff wars, is the paint industry experiencing supply chain disruptions?
Raw material availability and challenge in logistics have remained since the pandemic with several other factors contributing to further the disruption, possibly including the tariff wars, one way or another. This results to hampered production lead times and lack of opportunities for innovation.
When is the painting season? Has it shifted? Is this still the same considering climate change?
Summer time, school breaks, and the months leading to Christmas until the Chinese New Year remains to be the favored painting season. The timing of the climate still tends to fall on the same months though often with heightened experience (i.e., hotter summers, stronger storms).
How do you see the future of architectural paint in the Philippines, also considering indirect competition?
Anything that can finish a surface other than paint is a threat to decorative architectural coatings. Though the major features in favor of using traditional paint are the following: cost, availability, sheen and shade choices, maintenance, and replicability / uniformity.
With these considerations, the future of house paint remains very competitive.
Please list down the Boysen product features that address public concerns on environment, sustainability, and health.
All Boysen products are lead-safe certified. All water-based products are indoor air quality gold certified. KNOxOUT addresses air pollution. Cool Shades helps deflect heat from the sun. Bug Off kills disease-carrying insects. All packaging is made of completely recyclable material.
Your thoughts on the latest Worldbex exhibition.
Worldbex remains to be one of the most well attended construction exhibitions in the country. The quantity and quality of exhibitions and technical symposiums are constantly improving. Having two fully occupied venues, the World Trade Center and the SMX Manila, is no simple feat for the organizer.
Boysen had booths for both venues—Dutch Boy at WTC, Boysen at SMX. We saw to it that our guests got to enjoy the traditional displays, live special effects application demos, and fun interactive sections. We also wanted to keep the spaces bright and “porous” where guests can enter and exit one section after another freely and conveniently as they please while keeping every experience post-worthy.
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