BOI-approved investments ballooned to P461B in H1

MANILA, Philippines – More investments flowed through the Board of Investments (BOI) in the first half of 2026 than a year earlier, with renewable energy projects again accounting for nearly three-fourths of the P461.84-billion pipeline.

That first-half total was 20.82-percent higher than the P382.24 billion approved in the same period last year. These investment pledges are spread across 124 projects and are expected to generate 14,415 direct jobs.

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Renewable energy, the BOI’s largest investment segment for the past three years, again topped the list with P343.47 billion in approved projects, accounting for 74.25 percent of the first-half total.

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This comes even as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), whose secretary chairs the BOI, earlier said it expects the agency’s investment mix to gradually shift away from renewable energy projects, whose large capital requirements have historically lifted approval values.

With that anticipated shift, the DTI had lowered the BOI’s investment target for the year to P1 trillion, a goal the agency appears on track to achieve based on its first-half performance.

Other sectors remained far behind renewable energy. Real estate activities ranked second with P36.55 billion in approved investments, followed by air and water transport with P36.25 billion, mining and quarrying with P14.64 billion, hotel, tourism and accommodation with P7.58 billion, and manufacturing with P7.22 billion.

BOI Managing Head and Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the increase in investment approvals reflected continued investor confidence, supported by reforms such as the CREATE MORE law and the Marcos administration’s Strategic Investment Priority Plan.

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“These reforms are helping position the Philippines as a preferred location for strategic, high-value and job-generating investments,” Rodolfo said in a statement.

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Domestic investors accounted for the bulk of approved projects at P447.32 billion, or 96.86 percent of the total.

Foreign investment approvals totaled P14.16 billion. Singapore emerged as the biggest source with P3.15 billion, followed by China with P1.13 billion, the United States with P1.06 billion, Australia with P961 million and Japan with P873 million.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the BOI’s first-half performance reflected continued investor confidence in the country’s economic reforms, citing its recent transition to upper-middle-income status.

“Our focus now is to turn these investment commitments into operating projects that create quality jobs, strengthen industries and deliver lasting opportunities for Filipinos,” Roque said in a statement.

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In 2025, the BOI remained the country’s largest investment promotion agency after approving P1.56 trillion worth of projects, accounting for 81.25 percent of all investment commitments despite falling short of its P1.75-trillion target. INQ