PBBM, nakasubaybay sa pagpasok ng P3.48-T investment pledges- BOI exec

HANDS-ON si Pangulong  Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa mahigit na P3.48 trillion investment pledges para sa  Maynila na na-secure sa kanyang foreign trips.

Hangad ng Pangulo na magma-materialize at makalilikha ng hanapbuhay “as soon as possible”.

Sa ginanap na  Saturday News Forum sa Quezon City, sinabi ni Board of Investments (BOI) Executive Director for Investments Promotion Services Evariste Cagatan  na mahigpit na naka-monitor ang Pangulo para makapagbigay ng tulong upang “fast-track” ang pagpasok ng mga investors sa bansa.

“Investment leads pa lang iyan so marami pang kailangang gawin para tuluyang matuloy ‘yong mga pledges,” ayon kay Cagatan.

“Ang pangulo talagang binabantayan niya ‘yong pledges na ito na binigay sa kanya. So tinitingnan namin kung ano ‘yong mga balakid bakit hindi kaagad makapasok,” dagdag na wika.

Ang mga hamon aniya ay  “range from securing permits to the need for vast tracts of land and hiring employees with the right set of skills for their businesses.”

“The Philippines has so far secured USD62 billion or approximately PHP3.48 trillion in investment pledges since Marcos’ first official foreign travel in 2022,” ayon sa ulat.

“Most of these, for example, the US trip, marami nang pumasok at na-register na natin sa BOI at PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority),” ayon kay Cagatan.

“But you must understand na ‘yong investment kapag ginawa ‘yong pledge ngayon, not necessarily bukas nandiyan na siya. Medyo mahaba ‘yong gestation,” dagdag na wika nito sabay sabing “while monitoring these pledges, the government also continues to attract local and foreign investors by positioning the country as an ideal destination to achieve their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.”

“(I)yong mga investors ngayon, hinahanap nila kung saan sila puwedeng mag-invest wherein masasagot nila iyong kanilang ESG goals. So iyon ‘yong offer ng Philippines na kung dito sila maglo-locate,” aniya pa rin.

Sa BOI lang, ang investment approvals mula Enero hanggang  Marso ay umabot na sa P463.3 billion, tumaas ng  155%  mula sa  P181.7 bilyon na nakatala sa kahalintulad ng nakaraang taon.

Sinabi ni Cagatan na ang malaking bahagi ng  investments ay nasa renewables.

“(This) is 40 percent of our original target for approval for the year that is PHP1 trillion. And because we are already at that level, our target this year climbed to PHP1.5 trillion,” aniya pa rin.  (Daris Jose)