The government will fast-track incentives and investment facilitation measures to attract semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) companies to establish operations in the Philippines, Malacañang said.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has placed “high national priority” on positioning the country as a competitive destination for advanced technology investments that can generate high-value jobs and drive technology transfer.
Recto said the initiative seeks to build on the country’s existing strengths in the semiconductor and electronics sector, which currently accounts for around two-thirds of Philippine exports.
“This is the skills base we already have: a workforce of high-value, technology-driven, and future-ready professionals,” he said.
He added that the administration aims to translate this advantage into a stronger industrial base for semiconductors and AI.
“The President’s directive is to maximize our existing assets and develop the Philippines into a semiconductor and AI hub in Asia,” Recto said.
He made the remarks during a visit to the Texas Instruments facility in Clark, Pampanga.
“We want more factories rising here. We want more breakthroughs and innovations developed here. We want more Filipino engineers, technicians, and researchers building their futures here,” he said.
Recto also expressed appreciation for Texas Instruments’ long-standing presence in the country, calling the company “a pioneer and an innovator” with more than four decades of operations in the Philippines.
He said Texas Instruments serves as a model of sustained investor confidence in Filipino talent and the country’s manufacturing capabilities.
To support further expansion, the government is leveraging the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) as a key investment platform for semiconductor and AI industries, alongside the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council (SEIAC), which Recto chairs.
The LEC is a joint initiative with the United States and Japan aimed at strengthening connectivity between Subic, Clark, Manila, and Batangas to accelerate trade, logistics, and regional investment flows.
The Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Industry roadmap targets exports of up to US$110 billion by 2030, driven by expansion into higher-value activities such as integrated circuit design, advanced packaging, and semiconductor manufacturing.
Recto also inspected the US-led Pax Silica project site in New Clark City, envisioned as an AI-native industrial hub.
Launched in April 2026, the 4,000-hectare development is planned to host semiconductor fabrication plants, critical minerals processing facilities, hyperscale data centers, AI infrastructure, and advanced research centers.
“Pax Silica presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to host industries that will shape the future of the global economy,” Recto said.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said more than 50 companies, including several global technology firms, have expressed interest in investing in the project.
Also present during the visit were Finance Secretary Frederick Go, BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang, and Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo.