Photograph by Raffy Ayeng for DAILY TRIBUNE  Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque, who is Board of Investments chairperson, said, ‘The current Philippine manufacturing sector’s positive outlook is a catalyst for the country’s economic growth and more job opportunities for Filipinos. When factories produce more, they need to hire more workers.’
BUSINESS

Manufacturing projects now reach P26.6B — BoI

Raffy Ayeng

The Philippine manufacturing industry now has a total project cost of P26.6 billion, while manufacturing projects worth some P33.5 billion are in the pipeline, data from the Board of Investments (BoI) said on Monday.

The BoI’s latest data point to 14 manufacturing projects worth P26.629.84 billion; these projects are estimated to generate 5,725 jobs.

Compared to the same period last year, the BoI said the manufacturing sector posted a 165.08 percent increase from the P10.046.04 billion recorded January to June 2024.

Meanwhile, manufacturing projects that are still undergoing checklisting in July 2025 have now reached P33.543.62 (30 projects), estimated to produce a total of 1,668 jobs.

Checklisted projects

“The checklisted projects are (actually) the application forms filled up, including the supporting documents to assess completeness of information needed to evaluate the project. So, there is an intention to apply if it’s already in the checklisting phase,” BoI director Sandra Recolizado told reporters.

In a separate statement, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, who also serves as board chairman of the BoI, said growth in the manufacturing sector signals robust economic activity and boosts job opportunities.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries, show that physical output produced by factories over time, as measured by volume of production index, expanded by 4.9 percent year-on-year in May 2025, marking continued acceleration from the 4.3 percent growth posted in April.

Production rise, investor confidence

Secretary Roque said the sustained rise in industrial production, coupled with increasing investor confidence, is laying the groundwork for significant employment opportunities for Filipinos.

“The surge in manufacturing output in the Philippines shows how we are taking advantage of opportunities to serve growing markets and, importantly, to provide jobs and income for our people,” she said.