NEW York, USA — With the apparent slump in foreign direct investments (FDI) last year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has once again luring American investors to try and take in the investment climate of the country.

Speaking before the owners of United States companies at a dinner reception hosted by the LT Group Inc. here, Marcos Jr. invited investors to explore opportunities in the Philippines, reaffirming the country’s openness to business and the government’s commitment to improving the investment climate.

“We are ready to work with you. The Philippines is open — and I mean that not as a slogan, but as a commitment from my administration,” he said.

Moment of real opportunity

“We have been working hard to improve our investment climate, cut red tape, make it easier to do business, and build something lasting in our country. We are also at a moment of real opportunity,” the President added.

Citing manufacturing as an example, President Marcos noted that, with changes in the global supply chain, businesses no longer concentrate their operations in a single location and are now actively seeking trusted, capable, and strategically located alternatives.

He stressed that the Philippines is an option for investors given its skilled, adaptable, and English-speaking workforce and its continuously improving infrastructure.Aside from this, he said the country also has one of the youngest and fastest-growing populations in Asia.

“We have a government that is actively investing in industrial zones and manufacturing corridors, and that is serious about making the Philippines a reliable node in global supply chains,” the President emphasized.

In 2025, the United States remained a primary source of FDI equity capital for the Philippines, alongside Japan, Singapore and South Korea, focusing heavily on manufacturing, wholesale/retail trade and real estate.

Total FDI reached $7.1 billion from January to November 2025, with November recording $897 million, records from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, said.

“Whether in electronics, aerospace components, medical device manufacturing, food processing, or high-value manufacturing — the opportunity is real, and it is now,” President Marcos added.

With regard to financial services, the President noted that a large portion of the country’s population remains underserved by traditional banking, creating an enormous business opportunity.

The expansion of the fintech sector, coupled with digital payments, microfinance, and insurance products tailored to the mass market, makes it ripe for innovation and investment, President Marcos noted.

Maturing capital markets

At the same time, the Philippine capital markets are maturing, the President pointed out, noting that the government is actively working to deepen them so the country is not just a market to sell into but a financial center worth building in.