Foreign investment commitments up 68.2% in Q2 2026, says PSA

Foreign commitments approved by the country’s investment promotion agencies grew by 68.2% in the second quarter of 2026, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday, as the country's actual foreign direct investments slumped in the first five months of 2026.

Total foreign investment pledges stood at ₱115.20 billion, up from ₱68.48 billion in the same period last year.

The PSA said eight out of 16 investment promotion agencies reported foreign investment approvals during the period:

• the Authority of the Freeport of Bataan,
• the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA),
• the Board of Investments (BOI),
• Bangsamoro BOI,
• Clark Development Corporation,
• Clark International Airport Corporation,
• the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, and
• the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

The Netherlands registered the largest amount of foreign pledges, contributing ₱50.74 billion or 44% of the total.

Germany followed with ₱ 18.05 billion (15.7%) and Singapore with ₱9.95 billion (8.6%).

Manufacturing had the largest share, amounting to ₱78.81 billion or 68.4% of the total.

It was followed by real estate activities with ₱11.09 billion (9.6%) and electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply with ₱8.81 billion (7.7%).

Among the regions, the PSA said Cordillera Administrative Region received the highest share of foreign investment pledges, amounting to ₱55.74 billion or 48.4% of the total.

It was followed by Central Luzon with ₱36.81 billion (32.0%), then CALABARZON with ₱14.75 billion (12.8%).

“The total approved investments from both foreign and Filipino nationals in the second quarter of 2026 reached ₱541.51 billion, a 73.1% increase from the ₱312.87 billion reported in the same quarter of 2025,” the PSA said.

Of the total, Filipino nationals contributed ₱426.31 billion or 78.7%.

The PSA said projects related to electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industry continued to have the largest share, accounting for ₱321.06 billion or 59.3% of the total approved investments during the period.

This was followed by the Manufacturing industry with ₱98.06 billion (18.1%), and real estate activities with ₱49.38 billion (9.1%).

“Approved investments for the second quarter of 2026 are expected to generate a total of 32,167 employment, reflecting a 21.9% decline from the 41,203 employment expected in the same period of 2025. A total of 27,266 employment (84.8%) is projected to be generated from approved projects with foreign interest,” the PSA said. — BM, GMA News