Dennis Gaviola

Container vans stacked together are seen inside the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) compound in Manila on April 1, 2020. PPA general manager Atty. Jay Santiago said that Manila ports that serve as the “lungs” of the country’s commerce and trade are not functioning efficiently due to congestion. Santiago also stated that some containers inside their compound have not been withdrawn for more than 30 days already, even before the enhanced community quarantine was implemented. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. used his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) to argue that the Philippines is weathering an increasingly uncertain global economy by expanding its network of trade agreements, accelerating investment approvals and positioning the country as a future hub for artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and high-value industries.&quot;Our strong foreign relations have earned us incalculable dividends,&quot; Marcos said, as he outlined what he described as a broader strategy to diversify export markets and attract more long-term investments.The President said the Philippines now has 23 free trade agreements either in force or under active negotiations, describing it as the country&#x27;s broadest trade network to date. He also announced that the government is preparing to conclude a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates, adding to ongoing negotiations with other major trading partners.The trade push comes as exporters face a more volatile global environment, including new U.S. tariffs on Philippine goods.Marcos said the administration intends to reinforce the country&#x27;s strengths in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing while expanding exports of agricultural products such as coconut, bananas, tropical fruits, ube and enoki mushrooms.He also identified pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, luxury goods, logistics and emerging technologies as industries the government hopes will move the Philippines further up the global value chain.One of the administration&#x27;s biggest economic highlights centered on its Green Lanes initiative.Marcos said the government has facilitated more than P6 trillion worth of strategic investments through the Green Lanes program over the past three years. Those projects are expected to generate more than 400,000 jobs once implemented.The President also announced the continued expansion of economic zones beyond Metro Manila, including newly proclaimed ecozones in Dumaguete and Misamis Oriental, while saying Palawan and the Halal industry are being prepared as future investment destinations.Marcos likewise underscored the importance of the Pax Silica Industrial Hub, describing the project as a key component of the Luzon Economic Corridor that will anchor an AI-centered industrial ecosystem and strengthen the country&#x27;s position in advanced manufacturing and logistics.The President&#x27;s economic agenda mirrors recent initiatives of the Department of Trade and Industry, which has been pursuing new free trade agreements and investment promotion programs while encouraging exporters to diversify beyond traditional markets.

Marcos said the Philippines now has 23 free trade agreements either in force or under active negotiations, describing it as the country's broadest trade network to date.

Marcos said the Philippines now has 23 free trade agreements either in force or under active negotiations, describing it as the country's broadest trade network to date.

Marcos banks on trade deals, AI to power next wave of Philippine growth

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Marcos banks on trade deals, AI to power next wave of Philippine growth

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 27, 2026 07:50 PM PHT

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