President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed confidence that foreign investors would continue to see the Philippines as a viable destination, asserting that government anti-corruption measures are in place.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines luncheon, the president said that despite disappointing second-quarter growth and recent government corruption scandals, his administration has “taken many measures” to expose corruption and to boost investors’ confidence in the country.
“We have taken as many measures as we can in terms of the corruption and the great accountability to all of those who have been involved in this very large scandal," Marcos said.
"Those measures should allay the fears of investors when they attempt to invest further in the Philippines," he added.
Rather than deterring capital, Marcos said that enforcement actions signaled a safer, more transparent environment for foreign firms.
He added that total incoming foreign investments were continuing to trend upward despite market noise.
Addressing criticisms regarding the slow economic growth, Marcos said that serious investors focus on long-term policy structures rather than temporary dips.
To foster long-term growth, he said the government is prioritizing regulatory reforms that streamline entry and operations for foreign enterprises to improve the overall ease of doing business.
Additionally, specific high-growth sectors are receiving tailored fiscal and operational incentives to actively drive engagement. Marcos said these foundational economic policies were proving effective prior to the recent global energy shocks.
"What really counts for businessmen are the measures that we've taken to improve the ease of doing business; identifying particular sectors for which we are providing incentives for," he said.
He also acknowledged that public spending faced delays earlier in the year due to rigorous budget re-examinations, which temporarily slowed growth.
However, public spending catch-up efforts reduced the shortfall to roughly seven percent year-on-year by the end of the second quarter, with full recovery expected by the fourth quarter.
Marcos also cited severe external pressures — including the Middle East war and a strong dollar — as key factors behind elevated domestic inflation and currency pressure.
To cushion households and businesses against these global headwinds, the administration implemented targeted measures including subsidized diesel for the public transport sector.
Marcos also said that the government was working to diversify trade partnerships with non-traditional global partners to secure critical food and energy supply chains.
