October 28, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Investments approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) from January to September jumped by 53 percent from a year ago, signaling strong investor interest in the country.
In a statement yesterday, the BOI said that it approved P900.06 billion worth of investments from January to September, representing 90 percent of the P1 trillion target for the year.
The approved investments in the nine-month period are for 207 projects, which are expected to generate 21,524 jobs.
Investments approved by the BOI can enjoy fiscal and non-fiscal incentives including income tax holidays.
Of the investments approved by the BOI from January to September, domestic investors accounted for 90 percent or P808.96 billion, representing a 61 percent increase from P503.95 billion in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, approved foreign investments reached P90.40 billion as of end-September.
In terms of foreign sources of investments, Singapore topped the list with P42.71 billion or 47 percent of total foreign investment approvals.
This was followed by South Korea with P27.44 billion, China with P4.07 billion, Japan with P3.11 billion, the Netherlands with P2.15 billion, Australia with P1.57 billion and the United States with P1.33 billion.
By sector, the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply industry had the biggest share in investment approvals, accounting for P740.14 billion or 82 percent of the total approved investments from January to September. Investments in this sector grew by 75 percent from P422.34 billion in the same period last year.
Other leading sectors include real estate activities with P46.66 billion in approved investments; transportation and storage with P36.47 billion; information and communication with P18.36 billion and manufacturing with P14.86 billion.
In terms of location, the Cordillera Administrative Region attracted the highest level of approved investments during the nine-month period at P218.48 billion.
Ilocos Region came in next with P199.75 billion, followed by Central Luzon with P130.81 billion, Eastern Visayas with P76.84 billion, Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) with P58.37 billion and the National Capital Region with P49.88 billion.
In September alone, BOI-approved investments reached P278.21 billion, nearly five times the P56.49 billion cleared in the same month last year.
Investments approved in September are for 27 projects, which are expected to create at least 2,068 jobs.
“The surge in investment approvals recorded during the first nine months of 2026 reflects growing investor interest in the Philippines as a premier destination for growth and expansion. The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) through BOI will continue pursuing investments that advance our industrial capabilities, drive technological innovation and generate high-value employment nationwide,” Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said.
Given its strong investment pipeline and continued efforts to encourage investments through the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, which lists priority sectors for incentives under the CREATE MORE Act and the green lane initiative to expedite the processing of high-impact projects, the BOI is optimistic about sustaining its investment momentum for the rest of the year and beyond.
“As we enter the final quarter in 2026, the BOI will continue to actively promote the Philippines as a prime destination for investments. The strong approvals recorded thus far demonstrate not only the resilience of the Philippine economy but also the interest of investors in the country’s long-term growth prospects. We remain optimistic that investment momentum will continue through the remainder of the year,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said.
