PH woos Singapore manufacturers

The Philippines intensified its campaign to attract high-value manufacturing investments as Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque presented the country’s competitive advantages before the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) and its industry leaders during a roundtable meeting on July 30.

Addressing the federation’s council members, Roque said the Philippines is prepared to welcome a new wave of Singaporean investments, highlighting reforms, investment incentives, and the availability of economic zones suited for advanced manufacturing industries.

“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,” she said.

The meeting, hosted by the SMF at its newly opened Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC), brought together federation president Lennon Tan, council officers, and representatives from companies with existing or potential business interests in the Philippines, including Adera Global, Beckhoff Automation, Food Empire Holdings, Fullerton Health, Win-Sin, YCH Group, and Yusarn Audrey LLC.

Roque urged Singapore manufacturers to view the Philippines not merely as a consumer market but as a strategic production and distribution base as global supply chains continue to diversify. She also assured investors of government support in navigating investment incentives and facilitating project implementation.

She noted that the Philippines’ recent elevation to upper-middle-income status is expected to accelerate investments in higher-value sectors such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences, healthcare, and technology-driven industries.

“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.

During the discussions, Singapore-based logistics and supply chain solutions provider YCH Group shared plans to explore investments in AI-enabled superport and super park developments in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, SME Centre@SMF Chairman David Chia outlined how the organization helps small and medium-sized enterprises adopt artificial intelligence through a structured approach that assesses AI readiness, identifies business challenges, and supports practical implementation through pilot projects, advisory services, and workshops. The centre engages around 1,200 companies each year, offering a model that could be adapted to support the digital transformation of Philippine MSMEs.

Roque also promoted Philippine agricultural products—including coconut, ube, calamansi, banana, and pineapple—as export opportunities, while encouraging partnerships that would enable Filipino companies to use Singapore as a regional branding and re-export hub.

She noted that Philippine exhibitors at Food and Hospitality Asia 2026 generated about US$3 million in initial sales and US$100 million in potential deals under negotiation, and invited SMF’s Food & Beverage Industry Group to participate in IFEX Philippines 2027 in Manila.

Founded in 1932, the Singapore Manufacturing Federation is the country’s largest manufacturing organization, representing around 5,000 companies ranging from SMEs to multinational corporations.