Samar pushes investment-ready projects for growth
Samar is positioning investment-ready projects, stronger local investment frameworks, and closer public-private partnerships as key to converting the province’s economic potential into jobs and long-term growth.
This was underscored during the Second Samar Investment Forum 2026 (SIF²) held on October 12 at the Calbayog City Convention Center, where the Board of Investments (BOI) urged local governments to take a more strategic and proactive approach to attracting investments.
Representing the BOI, Governor Katrina Therese Lim-Dy and Director Ernesto Delos Reyes Jr. highlighted the agency’s efforts to help local governments strengthen competitiveness, develop viable projects, and create conditions that give investors greater confidence.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary and BOI Chair Cristina Roque and Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo, Delos Reyes said Samar should move beyond waiting for investors and instead prepare projects and institutions that are ready to respond to market opportunities.
“Samar must not merely wait for investments to arrive. We must organize our institutions, prepare our projects, and build the confidence investors need to choose Samar,” Delos Reyes said.
He identified renewable energy, agribusiness and food processing, logistics and cold chain infrastructure, and tourism among the sectors offering strong investment potential, given Samar’s natural resources, geographic position, and development priorities.
Delos Reyes also presented the BOI’s investment facilitation services, including the Green Lane for Strategic Investments under Executive Order No. 18, which streamlines government coordination and expedites the processing of permits and licenses for qualified strategic projects, subject to applicable laws and regulations.
He outlined four areas where local governments can strengthen their investment competitiveness: assigning dedicated focal persons to assist investors and facilitate projects; improving local investment incentive frameworks; developing investment-ready sites and public-private partnership (PPP) opportunities; and strengthening investor aftercare to help approved projects move toward actual operations and job creation.
During a panel discussion, Lim-Dy highlighted the BOI’s range of support for investors, including fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, investment facilitation, and assistance in navigating government requirements. These mechanisms, she said, are intended to help businesses establish, expand, and scale their operations in the Philippines more efficiently.
A major component of the forum was the presentation of investment opportunities by the Municipality of Daram, Municipality of Basey, City of Catbalogan, City of Calbayog, and the Provincial Government of Samar.
The investment pitches featured priority initiatives and potential projects in tourism, infrastructure, and other growth sectors, giving local governments an opportunity to engage prospective private-sector partners and explore ventures that address development needs while creating viable business opportunities.
PPPs, in particular, can allow local governments to tap private-sector capital, expertise, and operational capabilities to accelerate infrastructure development, improve public services, and stimulate economic activity.
With its natural attractions, agricultural resources, strategic location, and growing infrastructure needs, Samar has opportunities to attract investments that can improve connectivity, strengthen logistics networks, expand tourism facilities, and support broader economic development.
The challenge, however, is turning these opportunities into projects that investors can evaluate, finance, and implement.
That requires viable project proposals, clear investment frameworks, investment-ready sites, responsive local institutions, and sustained coordination between government and the private sector.
Organized by the DTI Samar Provincial Office in partnership with the Provincial Government of Samar and the city governments of Calbayog and Catbalogan, SIF² carried the theme “Partnerships Squared, Progress Shared.”
The forum also featured discussions on financing opportunities with the Land Bank of the Philippines, a franchising expo, investment success stories, and business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) matching sessions connecting prospective investors with financing institutions, enterprises, and government partners.
For Samar, the forum provided a platform not only to showcase investment potential but also to put local projects and investment-readiness under closer scrutiny—an important step in turning regional opportunities into actual investments, businesses, and jobs for its communities.
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