The Board of Investments (BOI) said Friday it expects investment approvals to hit P1.75 trillion in 2025, an 8 percent increase over the record-breaking P1.62 trillion achieved in 2024.
The BOI is optimistic for continued growth, building on robust economic indicators and strategic sectoral initiatives to sustain and surpass current investment levels.
“Renewable energy will still dominate, but we are intensifying promotion efforts in high-value sectors like manufacturing, semiconductors, and IT-enabled services to attract new investments,” said BOI director Lanie Dormiento during the yearend briefing of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The BOI reported an unprecedented P1.62 trillion in investment approvals as of Dec. 17, 2024, surpassing its P1.5-trillion target and representing a 28-percent growth from 2023’s P1.26 trillion.
Renewable energy posted the biggest increase of 40 percent to P1.38 trillion, year-on-year, due to big-ticket alternative power projects.
Other key contributors included air and water transport, which accounted for P121.20 billion; real estate with P37.26 billion; manufacturing with P31.67 billion; and water and waste management which achieved an extraordinary 1,540-percent growth to reach P16.28 billion.
Local investments soared by 150 percent, contributing P1.23 trillion to the total.
The CALABARZON region was the top performer with P630.97 billion; followed by Central Luzon with P277.80 billion; Western Visayas with P252.88 billion; Bicol Region with P144.97 billion; the National Capital Region with P129.17 billion; and the Ilocos Region with P88.32 billion.
Foreign investments reached P383.31 billion, with Switzerland emerging as the largest contributor at P289.06 billion—an astonishing 770,263-percent increase from 2023.
The Netherlands followed with P44.50 billion, while Japan ranked third with P14.67 billion. Other contributors were South Korea with P12.73 billion, Singapore with P7.38 billion, Thailand with P3.22 billion and the United States with P2.54 billion.
Dormiento said manufacturing is expected to take the lead in 2025, followed by real estate, ICT, construction and administrative services.
“We aim to attract investments in processing and other high-value manufacturing activities,” she said.
She highlighted the agency’s focus on aligning foreign direct investments (FDIs) with its ambitious goals.
“The strong momentum from 2024 provides a solid foundation for us to exceed expectations and deliver even greater economic impact in the coming year,” she said.
