Texas Instruments plans new Philippines facility

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2 (Reuters) - Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN.N), the world's biggest maker of mobile phone processors, said on Wednesday it will spend $1 billion over 10 years on a new microchip assembly and test facility in the Philippines.

Construction of the facility, to be located at the Clark Freeport Zone, is expected to start in the second half of this year, with initial output beginning in the second half of 2008, the company said.

It will employ 3,000 workers and double TI's output from the Philippines, where it already has an assembly and test operation that handles chips used in the computer, aerospace, automotive and telecommunications industries.

The Dallas, Texas-based company said the new site will be its most environmentally efficient assembly and test facility in the world and will be designed to reduce water and energy use as well as waste.