Foreign investment approvals in the Philippines reached P27.99 billion in the first quarter of 2025, an 82-percent drop from P155.26 billion recorded in the same period last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.
Seven out of 13 investment promotion agencies reported foreign investment approvals during the January-March period, including the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, Board of Investments, Clark Development Corporation, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.
South Korea was the top source of foreign investment pledges in the first quarter, committing P12.36 billion, or 44.2 percent of the total approved foreign investment.
The United States followed with P3.08 billion (11.0 percent) and China with P2.88 billion (10.3 percent).
Real estate attracted the largest share of foreign investments at P10.79 billion (38.5 percent), followed by manufacturing at P6.14 billion (21.9 percent) and administrative and support service activities at P5.35 billion (19.1 percent).
Central Luzon received the highest proportion of foreign investment pledges at P14.90 billion, or 53.3 percent of the total. The National Capital Region followed with P6.78 billion (24.2 percent), and CALABARZON with P3.95 billion (14.1 percent).
Total approved investments, including those from Filipino nationals, reached P181.93 billion in the first quarter, a 43.7-percent decrease from the P323.27 billion reported in the same quarter of 2024. Filipino investors contributed P153.94 billion, or 84.6 percent of the total.
The electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industry secured the largest share of total approved investments at P61.98 billion (34.1 percent), followed by manufacturing at P38.24 billion (21.0 percent) and real estate activities at P34.98 billion (19.2 percent).
Approved investments in the first quarter of 2025 are expected to generate 31,848 jobs, a 4.7-percent decline from the 33,431 jobs projected in the same period of 2024. Projects with foreign interest are expected to create 19,303 jobs, or 60.6 percent of the total.
