SINGAPORE — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina A. Roque pitched the Philippines as a top investment destination in a roundtable meeting with Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) council members and industry leaders on July 30. DTI also committed to connect SMF’s roughly 5,000-member network to Philippine investment opportunities across sectors like semiconductors, aerospace and food manufacturing.
“The Philippines is ready for the next wave of Singaporean investments. The reforms are in place, the incentives are on the table, and we have diverse ecozones readily available for manufacturers looking to set up or expand their operations. We invite SMF members to bring their capital, expertise, and technology to the Philippines,” Secretary Roque said.
The roundtable was hosted by SMF at its recently launched Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), led by SMF President Lennon Tan. Attendees included SMF council officers and representatives from companies with business interests in the Philippines, such as Adera Global, Beckhoff Automation, Food Empire Holdings, Fullerton Health, Win-Sin, YCH Group, and Yusarn Audrey LLC.
During the meeting, Secretary Roque urged SMF to view the Philippines not merely as a consumer base, but more so as a production and delivery base in the region. She promoted the Philippines as an alternate production and sourcing option for SMF members as global supply chains continue to realign. She also assured them that DTI will actively support SMF members that invest in the Philippines through incentive navigation and on-ground facilitation.
Secretary Roque said the country’s recent upgrade to upper-middle-income status is expected to drive demand and accelerate investments in higher-value and innovation-intensive sectors, particularly advanced manufacturing, life sciences and healthcare.
“The Philippines is no longer competing on cost alone. We are building the talent, infrastructure, technology ecosystem and domestic market that innovation-driven companies need to grow across ASEAN,” she added.
Singapore-based logistics and supply chain solutions company YCH Group, already serving Philippine FMCG players, in response shared their plans to invest in superport/super park models by leveraging AI tools.
SME Centre@SMF Chairman David Chia also shared how their organization supports medium, small and micro-sized enterprises (MSMEs) with AI implementation through a three-step process: diagnosing AI readiness, identifying business problems, and supporting practical, bite-sized applications, job redesign, and group-based pilots. He added that the centre engages with companies through one-to-one advisories, workshops, and group-based projects, addressing about 1,200 companies annually for advisories. This framework serves as a model for how DTI can partner with the SMF to provide similar support and guidance for Philippine SMEs, fostering greater digital transformation and growth.
Secretary Roque also promoted Philippine ingredients such as coconut, ube, calamansi, banana and pineapple while seeking partnerships that can help Filipino enterprises enter Singapore and use it as a regional branding and re-export hub. She shared that Food and Hospitality Asia 2026 in Singapore last April, exhibitors from the Philippine Pavilion generated around USD 3 million in initial sales and USD 100 million in potential transactions under negotiation. She also invited SMF’s Food & Beverage Industry Group to attend IFEX 2027 in Manila.
Established in 1932, the SMF is Singapore’s largest national organization representing manufacturing and manufacturing-related industries, from small and medium enterprises to multinational corporations.
