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Louella Desiderio - The Philippine Star
June 7, 2026 | 12:00am
In a statement, the BOI said that the agency remained the largest contributor to total investments approved by investment promotion agencies (IPAs) with P58.2 billion covering 50 projects during the January to March period.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — Investments approved by the Board of Investments (BOI) fell by 48 percent in the first quarter due to a drop in both foreign and local investment commitments.
In a statement, the BOI said that the agency remained the largest contributor to total investments approved by investment promotion agencies (IPAs) with P58.2 billion covering 50 projects during the January to March period.
The amount was down from the P112.52 billion approved in the same quarter last year.
Of the total, P5.24 billion came from foreign investors, 28 percent lower than last year’s P7.29 billion.
Likewise, local investments dropped by 50 percent to P52.96 billion from P105.23 billion in the same period in 2025.
The drop in BOI’s investment approvals is in contrast to the rise in total foreign investment pledges approved by IPAs in the first quarter.
Data released earlier by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that foreign investments approved by IPAs amounted to P42.64 billion, 52 percent higher than the P27.99 billion a year ago.
On the other hand, investments from Philippine firms approved by the IPAs reached P83.31 billion in the first quarter, 46 percent lower than the P153.98 billion cleared in the same period a year ago.
Total investments from foreign and Philippine firms approved by IPAs fell by 31 percent to P125.95 billion in the first quarter from P181.97 billion in the same quarter last year.
Despite the decline in total investments approved by IPAs, Trade Secretary and BOI chair Cristina Roque maintained that the data demonstrates that the Philippines remains a compelling destination for foreign investments.
For his part, Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said that the “first quarter performance sets the tone for sustained foreign investment inflows in the months ahead, driven by ongoing reforms, improved ease of doing business and proactive investment promotion.”
