Foreign business groups are calling on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to keep economic competitiveness at the heart of his legislative agenda, arguing that the country’s next wave of reforms will determine whether it can attract higher-value investments and secure a stronger foothold in regional supply chains.
Ahead of the President’s State of the Nation Address, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) submitted a package of legislative and executive priorities aimed at sustaining the Philippines’ reform momentum. The coalition, composed of the American, Canadian, European, Japanese and Korean chambers of commerce, together with the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Inc. (PAMURI), said the country has already laid important groundwork through recent investment-friendly policies.
Now, it wants those gains to accelerate rather than stall.
Among the measures the JFC wants prioritized are amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, as well as the proposed Cybersecurity Act, Digital Economy Act, National Single Window System Act, Artificial Intelligence Act and National Land Use Act. It also urged Congress to amend the charters of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Philippine Ports Authority, while pushing for the passage of the Freedom of Access to Information Act.
The group emphasized that enacting new laws is only part of the equation. Just as crucial, it said, is the effective implementation of landmark reforms already on the books, including the CREATE MORE Act, Ease of Doing Business Act and Ease of Paying Taxes Act, to ensure investors experience the benefits promised by those measures.
“The Philippines has made meaningful progress in advancing reforms that strengthen investor confidence and improve the business environment,” said Ebb Hinchliffe, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.
Hinchliffe said continued action on competitiveness-enhancing reforms, backed by faithful implementation of existing laws, would help attract more investments, create quality jobs and sustain long-term economic growth.
The JFC said it remains ready to work with the Marcos administration and Congress to advance reforms that encourage innovation, strengthen competitiveness and unlock broader economic opportunities for Filipinos.
