Investment commitments registered by the Subic Bay Freeport in 2017 dropped 46 percent to P3.63 billion from P6.71 billion in 2016.
Data from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority showed that investments from new investors fell 60 percent to P6.35 billion from P2.54 billion a year ago despite a 66-percent increase in the number of new locators.
The data showed the free port reported 239 new investors in 2017, up 66 percent from 144 in 2016.
The number of expanding projects also rose 70 percent to 63 in 2017 from 37 projects a year ago.
Despite a surge of 203 percent in investments from expanding locators to P1.09 billion from P0.36 billion in 2017, total employment in 2017 fell 1.8 percent to 4,309 workers from 4,389 in 2016.
The SBMA said Philippine exports from the port increased to $2.33 billion from $1.69 billion while imports climbed 11 percent to $1.17 billion from $1.6 billion.
The SBMA also reported that revenues increased 4 percent to P3.08 billion from P2.95 billion.
The Subic Bay Freeport gets income from leases, port services, regulatory fees, environment and tourism administrative fees, common usage service area fees, tourism and others.
Leases in the free port contributed the biggest share in total revenue source. It rose 6 percent to P1.52 billion in 2017 from P1.44 billion in 2016.
The free port in 2017 generated 70,650 jobs in the services sector, 33,593 in shipbuilding, 15,303 in manufacturing and 8,621 in construction.
The Subic Bay Freeport remitted P20.22 billion to the national government and the provincial government of Zambales in 2017.