On investment promotion and world peace

Last week, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the data on approved foreign investments for the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. I checked and compared Q1 and Q2 2025 results over the same period in 2024.

- BIENVENIDO S. OPLAS, JR.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and several Secretaries were in India and among the events held there was the Philippine-India Business Forum in Bengaluru, on Aug. 7.

The Board of Investments and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority remain the country’s largest investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and there has been a significant decline in total foreign investments, from P345 billion in 2024 to P95 billion in 2025.

The largest sources of investment last year were Switzerland with P235 billion and the Netherlands with P40 billion. This year the largest sources are Singapore and South Korea (see Table 1).

The bulk of the foreign investments last year were in the Electricity, gas, and steam sector with P282 billion out of the P345 billion total, followed by Manufacturing with P25 billion. As to the destination of foreign investments, the bulk went to Calabarzon with P128 billion and Negros Island with P86 billion. This year, the Bicol region got P32 billion of the total P95 billion, followed by Calabarzon with P25 billion.

The past two weeks showed the President and some members of the economic team busy with various investment promotions.