When Naoki Hama, President and CEO of Fujifilm Business Innovation Corporation (FBIC), visited the Philippines for the company’s 60th anniversary celebration, it was more than a ceremonial appearance. It was a return to one of its earliest milestones.
Six decades ago, long before “digital transformation” became a business buzzword, the company took one of its first steps beyond Japan by entering the Philippine market in 1965.
During his trip, he sat down with PhilSTAR Tech to reflect on the company’s six-decade journey in the country and on why the Philippines continues to play a vital role in FBIC’s vision for the future.
Long before the company became a global name in digital transformation and document solutions, it was in the Philippines where FBIC first tested the waters of international business.
What began in 1965 as a modest overseas branch has evolved into a strategic hub for innovation, sustainability, and customer partnership.
That milestone, Hama says, represents more than longevity. It is a reminder of Fujifilm’s philosophy of growing together with the people and communities it serves.
“We have been growing with the people of the Philippines for 60 years,” The FBIC president, speaking through an interpreter, said.
“Our goal is to stay close to our customers and to the community, so we can provide the best for them.”
For Hama, anniversaries are not just markers of the past but opportunities to reaffirm purpose.
He said that since each country and region has different needs for services and products, it’s important for them to focus on pursuing their goals in the Philippines.
That principle has guided Fujifilm’s evolution from film and photocopiers to IT services, and AI-driven business solutions.
In an age where technology moves fast, Hama’s leadership style slows things down just enough to remember why innovation matters: to empower people, not replace them.
A legacy of connection
The Philippines holds a special place in the history of FBIC. When the company established its local operations in 1965, it was taking one of its first steps into overseas expansion, a significant move for what was then known as Fuji Xerox.
“Originally, it was only in Japan, but it was a very memorable country for us. Since I started my job, I have been aiming to contribute to Philippine society and to our customers,” Hama recalled.
For him, this early bond remains one of the company’s defining relationships, a blend of business and cultural connection that continues to inspire FBIC’s corporate identity.
Today, the Philippines continues to play a vital role within FBIC’s regional network, serving as both a hub for innovation and a key market in Southeast Asia.
Beyond printing
In many ways, Hama’s personal journey mirrors FBIC’s evolution. Having joined Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. in 1986, he witnessed firsthand the transition from traditional photography to digital imaging, and eventually to the data-driven business landscape of today.
Over nearly four decades, he has helped steer Fujifilm from a legacy brand into a diversified, technology-driven corporation.
Hama explained that the company now views its multifunction printer as both the “entry and exit” point of a business process, a tool that connects different parts of a company’s workflow rather than simply producing documents.
“In regards to that, what we want to provide further to our customers, especially here in the Philippines, is a service that will make them happy,” Hama added.
On another note, the company’s transformation was formalized in 2021, when Fuji Xerox rebranded as Fujifilm Business Innovation. The move signaled not only a change in name but also in purpose.
“As the name of our company also says, our important mission is to provide a change in business—a revolution in business—and become our customers’ trusted partner,” Hama said.
That adaptive mindset, the willingness to understand each market deeply, has allowed Fujifilm to remain relevant in an era when many legacy tech companies have struggled to keep pace.
Sustainability and shared growth
For Hama, innovation is meaningful only when it contributes to a sustainable future. This belief has led to one of the company’s most forward-looking initiatives in the region, which is the establishment of a remanufacturing and reconditioning facility in Laguna.
The new site is designed to champion the circular economy, a model that reduces waste by reusing and refurbishing existing resources.
He believes that growth and responsibility must coexist, saying that developing the business meant taking care of the environment as well.
“We can actually create another machine out of those and have provided to the customer. So, that kind of stance is actually going to give a better sustainability effect to the environmental as well,” Hama said.
This approach, already proven successful in Japan, is being localized in the Philippines, transforming the country into a hub for sustainable manufacturing.
The Philippines’ strategic location and the government’s support, Hama said, is helping them establish the reconditioning and remanufacturing operations in the country.
“I am very, very happy and thankful that we can create such a new environment in the Philippines, where we first expanded,” Hama says.
For him, sustainability is more than an environmental principle. It’s a human one.
“As we sustain that circular economy, I am very happy that we are able to take on this new challenge again here in the Philippines.”
The company’s sustainability work in the country, from reconditioning old machines to developing local expertise, also reflects Fujifilm’s broader shift toward long-term impact over short-term output.
As FBIC celebrates six decades in the Philippines, Hama’s message remains clear: That the company’s most enduring strength lies not in its machines or technology, but in its relationships.
The Philippines, after all, is where that story of connection began, and where it continues to grow.
