Taiwanese manufacturers of electric vehicle (EV) buses are exploring plans to establish a production facility in the Philippines, with a potential capital outlay of about USD25 million, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said.
PEZA said the prospective investment forms part of a broader wave of interest from Taiwanese firms seeking to expand in the Philippines, which is increasingly being positioned as a “plus one” destination for offshore operations.
Alongside the EV push, a Taiwanese food manufacturer is also considering setting up a facility within Philippine economic zones, further signaling growing investor confidence in the country’s business climate.
The investment leads emerged from PEZA’s recent mission to Taipei, where the Philippine delegation met with potential investors across sectors such as electronics manufacturing services (EMS), semiconductor manufacturing services (SMS), environmental technologies, automotive, and cold storage.
While the agency did not disclose company names, it said discussions focused on plans to locate and scale operations within PEZA-registered ecozones.
PEZA added that an inbound delegation of Taiwanese companies, particularly from the electronics and semiconductor sectors, is expected to visit the Philippines in the coming months.
The visit will form part of their due diligence and ongoing evaluation of offshore investment opportunities, including potential partnerships in local ecozones.
On the sidelines of the mission, PEZA and the Manila Economic and Cultural Office formalized a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration in supporting business support organizations in both economies.
The agreement aims to boost investment promotion, facilitate business matching, and improve ease of doing business between the Philippines and Taiwan.
PEZA said the mission also prioritized investor retention, with officials engaging existing Taiwanese locators to identify expansion opportunities, address operational challenges, and fast-track reinvestment plans.
Several firms have signaled interest in expanding capacity and moving into higher-value activities, underscoring the role of sustained aftercare in anchoring long-term investments.
“We are seeing strong and sustained interest from Taiwanese investors, particularly in high-growth and innovation-driven sectors,” said PEZA Director General Tereso Panga.
“PEZA remains fully committed to providing a stable, predictable, and competitive investment environment that enables our partners to scale efficiently and succeed in the Philippines.”
The pipeline of prospective and expansion projects is expected to generate new jobs in the near term.
As of December 2025, PEZA has registered 71 Taiwanese firms, with total investments exceeding P45 billion and generating more than 20,000 direct jobs nationwide.
