President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said that foreign investors’ confidence in the Philippines has been restored following his administration’s efforts to address widespread corruption within government ranks.

Speaking at a press conference during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Busan, South Korea, Marcos said that bringing corruption issues to light was key to rebuilding trust among international investors.

“Well, if we had not exposed it, then they would be saying that there’s a problem. Now that we have exposed it, their [investors’] confidence is stronger in the Philippines,” Marcos Jr. said.

His remarks came after American businessman Salvador Ahumada, chairman and CEO of ACEIS — a Thailand-based systems integration company — expressed his willingness to invest in the Philippines despite lingering concerns about corruption.

Lucrative defense sector

“I plan to involve myself in the defense industry in support of the [Philippines], and find ways in which to also build the economy, and help find more resilient supply chains, and more ways in which to conduct commerce across the Asia-Pacific [region],” Ahumada told reporters.

In September, Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 74, establishing the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI). Working in coordination with Ombudsman Boying Remulla’s office, the ICI has begun cracking down on those allegedly involved in the flood control project scandal.

The latest Business Confidence Index from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that investor sentiment declined to 23.2 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 28.8 percent in the previous quarter, indicating a moderation in optimism among businesses toward the Philippine economy.

Despite this dip, President Marcos announced during the APEC Summit the P50.7-billion expansion of Samsung Electro-Mechanics Philippines Corporation (SEMPHIL) — a project expected to generate around 3,000 new jobs and further bolster investor confidence in the country.