INVESTMENTS SA PH SUMIPA P609-B

PUMALO ang kabuuang investments na inaprubahan ng Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) sa P609.04 billion hanggang noong katapusan ng Agosto 2019, mahigit doble o 126.1 porsiyento ng P269.3 billion na naitala sa kahalintulad na panahon noong nakaraang taon.

Batay sa datos, 98 porsiyento ng naturang investments ay matatagpuan sa labas ng Metro Manila. Ang projected employment sa sandaling mag-operate na ang mga ito ay aabot sa 37,524 personnel, mas mataas ng 30.5 porsiyento sa 28,743 na naitala mula Enero hanggang Agosto 2018.

Sa kabuuan, ang domestic investments ay nasa P404.5 billion, mas mataas ng 61.2 porsiyento sa P251 billion noong nakaraang taon.

“Approved foreign investments comprised a third of the total figure, surging to Php204.5 billion which translates to a 1,016.3 percent increase compared to just Php18.3 billion in the same period in 2018,” ayon sa BOI.

Ang Singapore ay nananatiling pangunahing pinagmumulan ng investments na may P170 billion, sumusunod ang Netherlands na may P9.2-B, Thailand (P8.6 billion), Japan (P6 billion) at United States (P2.4 billion).

Para sa buwan lamang ng Agosto, ang investment approvals ay umabot sa P296.2 billion, mas mataas ng 1640.9 porsiyento sa  P17 billion lamang noong Agosto 2018.

“The August figure of investment approvals nearly matches investments approved for the first seven months of 2019, amounting to Php312.8 billion. This shows big-ticket projects have begun to roll in and proves that the Philippine economy remains resilient in attracting investors despite the global slowdown,” sabi ni Trade Secretary at BOI Chairman Ramon M. Lopez.

“With the August inflation rate decelerating further to 1.7 percent, the lowest in nearly three years, our country has greater stability and flexibility as our exports continue to grow in some markets. Even our manufacturing sector is expected to weather the downward trend that has affected most countries as BOI approvals among the manufacturing sector surged to Php62.9 billion, a 189.2 percent increase from just Php21.7 billion in January to August 2018. To further increase the capacities of our manufacturing base, we will continue to aggressively promote increased bilateral business ties with our biggest trading partners despite their trade wars. But at the same time, we will also promote import substitutions by exporting more to other markets as we diversify. All of these efforts will help us create more jobs and employment to fulfill the President’s dream for a better life for our people,” dagdag pa ni Sec. Lopez.

Sa nagpapatuloy na digital transformation ng bansa, ang Information and Communication sector ang nangunguna na may investment approvals na P308.8 billion, isang meteoric increase mula sa P340 million lamang noong nakaraang taon.

Ang power projects ay nanatiling kabilang sa pinakamalaking investments na may P195.1 billion, mas mataas ng 50.5 porsiyento sa P129.6 billion sa kaparehong panahon noong nakaraang taon. Nagtala ang tourism accommodation sector ng P9.2 billion, tumaas ng 636 porsiyento mula sa P1.25 billion noong 2018. Ang Human Health and Social Work Activities (Hospitals) segment ay nagrehistro naman ng 69.7 porsiyentong pagtaas mula sa P1.3 billion noong 2018 sa P2.3 billion ngayong taon.

Kabilang sa mga proyekto na inaprubahan noong Agosto ay ang in­frastructure project ng ISOC Asia Telecom To­wers, Inc. na magtatayo ng 25,000 cellular towers na may kabuuang halaga na P141.1 billion; three-phase project ng  Philippines Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd., Inc. na sumasakop sa 60,000 kilometers para sa kabuuang halaga na P134.5 billion;  at ang P16.7 billion cement facility ng Republic Cement and Building Materials, Inc. sa Rizal.

“We are still on track to meet our year-end targets. We still have pending big-ticket projects that need to be thoroughly studied and evaluated. With four months remaining, we have to ensure that those who got the nod are deserving of the tax incentives and translate to more job opportunities for our countrymen,” wika ni Trade Undersecretary at BOI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo.