The Philippines is on track to haul in approximately $3.4 billion (₱210 billion) in fresh investment commitments following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s high-level meeting with top corporate executives in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Addressing Japanese business leaders during a forum, President Marcos lauded their evolving and deepening impact on the Philippine economy.
“You are no longer just investors in our economy. You are builders of it,” the President told executives from major Japanese corporations.
The projected multi-billion-peso capital influx is slated to stimulate job creation, fortify local sectors, and accelerate technology transfer across various strategic industries.
Highlighting the official visit was a landmark memorandum of understanding signed between the Ayala Group and Japanese powerhouses Mitsubishi Corporation, MUFG Bank, and telecommunications giant KDDI Corp. This alliance will spearhead initiatives in digital finance, artificial intelligence-powered infrastructure, and advanced marketing technology.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, the Ayala-Mitsubishi partnership will dive into digital marketing innovations, including ticketing systems, e-commerce platforms, customer engagement tools, and rewards programs.
Concurrently, KDDI pledged to back smart urban development in Makati City by deploying AI-driven city management, smart mobility, and data-centric public service platforms.
Global brands like Toyota Motor Corporation, Panasonic Holdings Corporation, and Uniqlo also participated in the roundtable talks, where Marcos laid out the country’s long-term economic vision.
“The Philippines is pursuing a clear national direction: building an economy where infrastructure, industry, finance, human capital, and connectivity move together as one system of growth,” Marcos said.
The President further stressed that modernizing infrastructure remains a top priority to solidify global trade and tourism bonds.
“Trade and tourism are not supporting sectors. They are core drivers of economic expansion in the Philippines moving forward. This is a philosophy our two countries understand deeply,” he added.
The investment boost coincides with the expansion of the Luzon Economic Corridor, a trilateral initiative between Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.
The corridor’s steering committee recently announced the inclusion of several new partner nations, including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“As trilateral partners, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to work together and collaborate with valued partners to further accelerate the Philippines’ economic growth and enhance connectivity,” the committee said.