Logistics giants – FedEx, Boeing, Lockheed Martin – are among the 14 global companies that participated during President Marcos Jr.’s private roundtable with a select group of companies in Singapore.
Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque said the Singapore engagement placed the Philippines before business leaders with the authority to make investment and expansion decisions across the region.
Roque said senior representatives from 14 global companies and institutions with interests spanning infrastructure, logistics, private equity, aerospace, digital technology, healthcare and financial services attended the recent private meeting with President Marcos.
Aside from the three companies, Roque identified other companies and institutions in attendance to include CVC, Asian Development Bank, TPG, I Squared Capital, Ayala Corporation, EQT, Solana Foundation and other Singapore-based firms, whose regional investment decisions could help expand critical infrastructure and deepen the Philippines’ participation in global supply chains.
The discussion, conducted under the Chatham House Rule, allowed participating companies to engage directly with the President on the Philippine investment climate, priority sectors and specific areas for partnership.
During the roundtable discussion, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on global investors in Singapore to take part in the Philippines’ next stage of growth, following the country’s upgrade to upper-middle-income status.
The private roundtable was co-hosted by the Milken Institute and the Philippine Embassy in Singapore.
President Marcos said the Philippines’ move into the upper-middle-income category is a result of broad-based economic expansion, driven by reforms, a young workforce, and one of Southeast Asia’s largest consumer markets.
He said the government is now working to turn that progress into higher-value investment, stronger industries and better jobs.
The President highlighted the government’s infrastructure program, including the Luzon Economic Corridor connecting Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas. The corridor is set to improve freight transport, logistics and access to economic zones.
He also discussed the operationalization of the Maharlika Investment Fund and its role in mobilizing capital for infrastructure and other development priorities.
On digital development, the President cited the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and the Philippines’ participation in Pax Silica, including plans for an AI-focused industrial hub in New Clark City.
He said these initiatives could help strengthen semiconductor, digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence supply chains.
President Marcos also stressed the need to increase intra-ASEAN trade and deepen regional economic integration as the Philippines chairs ASEAN in 2026, ahead of Singapore’s chairmanship in 2027.
Secretary Roque emphasized that the goal of the roundtable discussion was not simply to bring in more capital, but “We want to work with investors who will build industries, create quality jobs, strengthen our infrastructure and open more opportunities for Filipino workers and businesses. Investment must translate into better livelihoods and growth that our people can feel.”
