THE Board of Investments (BOI) approved P461.84 billion worth of proposed projects in the first six months of the year, up by 20.82 percent from the P382.24 billion seen a year earlier.
The 124 ventures, if realized, are expected to generate 14,415 direct jobs for Filipinos, the BOI said on Friday.
The statement came as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also said that net foreign direct investments — actual inflows and not pledges — had fallen to a near 10-year low of $250 million (P15.375 billion) in April, down 58.8 percent from $607 million (P41.17 billion) 12 months earlier.
Analysts said the plunge was likely due to investor caution amid domestic and global uncertainties, a point BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo acknowledged.
“It’s reflective of the global headwinds,” he said, but added that the government’s Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) for 2026 to 2028 would help “attract more investments both local and foreign.”
The bulk of the BOI-approved investment pledges were domestic in nature at P447.32 billion, 41 percent higher compared to a year earlier, while foreign commitments totaled P14.16 billion.
Most of the projects involve energy, which accounted for the largest share at P343.47 billion or 74.25 percent of total approvals.
Following were real estate activities (P36.55 billion), air and water transport (P36.25 billion), mining and quarrying (P14.64 billion), hotel, tourism and accommodation projects (P7.58 billion) and manufacturing (P7.22 billion).
By area, the Cordillera Administrative Region cornered P150.40 billion worth of projects, followed by the Ilocos Region (P144.13 billion), National Capital Region (P48.78 billion), Central Luzon (P33.55 billion), Caraga (P16.93 billion), and Central Visayas (P13.97 billion).
As for approved foreign investments, Singapore was the top source at P3.15 billion. It was followed by China (P1.13 billion), the United States (P1.06 billion), Australia (P961 million), and Japan (P873 million).
The BOI approved P1.56 trillion worth of projects last year, short of its P1.75-trillion target and below the record P1.62 trillion seen in 2025.
The agency, which is targeting P1 trillion in approvals for 2026, last Friday launched a national roadshow for the 2026–2028 SIPP, which identifies priority sectors and activities eligible for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and was approved in June.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the growth in BOI-approved investments marked continued investor confidence in the Philippines.
Sustained investments and economic reforms, she added, had helped the country achieve an income status upgrade from the World Bank. FROM A REPORT BY
