President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday said about P4.6 trillion worth of strategic investments in various sectors have been certified for faster processing, less than two years since the green lane was established under an executive order (EO) signed August 2023.
Speaking before the Gawad Bayanihan sa Pamumuhunan Milestone Event in Malacañang, the President said these investments would generate up to 300,000 jobs for Filipinos and improve the delivery of services.
“As of last month (February), we certified nearly 190 – 187 to be exact – strategic investments across key sectors,” Marcos said.
These sectors include renewable energy, digital infrastructure, food security, and manufacturing—amounting to a total investment value of over P4.6 trillion, he said.
The president said these investments include the 159 megawatt-peak Laoag Solar Power Project, and the 94 megawatt-peak Cayanga-Bugallon Solar Power Project, both in Pangasinan, and the EDC-Project Charlie Hyperscale Data Center in New Clark City in Tarlac.
The Board of Investments’ Investment Assistance Service which handles green lane projects, said it recorded P4.54 trillion in certified strategic projects as of December 2024.
P540B more
This means P540 billion new strategic projects were added to the list of investments in the first two months of 2025.
The president said more than the new jobs generated, these investments would provide Filipinos more opportunities to improve and uplift their lives.
“Makakatulong din po ang investment upang mapababa ang presyo ng mga serbisyo at bilihin dahil sa kumpetisyon. Kasama na po diyan ang mas maayos na transportasyon, enerhiya, [at] komunikasyon dulot ng mga makabagong teknolohiya mula sa namumuhunan,” he said. (The new investments would also help bring down the prices of commodities and services due to competition as well as improve the transportation, energy and communication sectors due to the new technologies form investors).
Marcos credited improved investor interest in the country to the cooperation between national and local government agencies that resulted in the streamlining of investment processes and push for economic reforms.
He also acknowledged the implementation of Executive Order No. 18, which established Green Lanes for Strategic Investments to fast-track permits for major projects.
Green Lane certified
“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We will expand Green Lanes and push for more high-impact, sustainable investments.”
Projects certified as strategic align with the Philippine Development Plan or similar national development frameworks. These projects are characterized by significant capital investments, positive economic and environmental impacts, contributions to the country’s balance of payments, complex technical processes, and a potential to enhance the nation’s infrastructure.
Under Executive Order No. 18, strategic projects pass through the Green Lane, which streamlines inter-agency coordination, local government endorsements, and related processes.
The president said the operation of the One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments also compels agencies to move with speed, with precision, and certainty, furthering the overall ease of doing business in the country, while the passage of the CREATE MORE Act, which refines tax incentives to attract priority projects, reinforces the administration’s commitment to economic transformation.
“The goal is simple: less red tape, more action, more results, more success, more quickly,” Marcos said. “We want investments to come in, projects to break ground faster, [and] jobs to reach our people sooner. Because when businesses move quickly, progress follows just as fast,” he added.
Gawad Bayanihan awardees
During the event, Marcos recognized the contributions and achievements of this year’s Gawad Bayanihan sa Pamumuhunan awardees for their role in advancing the country’s competitiveness.
The Awardees were chosen based on their proactive roles in facilitating investments and overcoming challenges faced by developers. They were also chosen based on the establishment of Green Lane focal points, responsiveness and timeliness, action, resolution, and client feedback.
The president said the award is a call to ensure that ‘’the progress that we have begun will only build momentum in the years ahead.’’
Marcos also urged the concerned offices and agencies to align their organizational goals with the national priorities ‘’so that we can push for even greater economic transformation together.’’
The Gawad Bayanihan awardees include: Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Undersecretary David Almirol Jr.; Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Assistant Manager Catherine Buena; Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Jacqueline Caancan; Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Chairwoman CEO Monalisa Dimalanta, and Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting.
Also awarded were Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio, National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Deputy Administrator Engr. Josephine Salazar, Public-Private Partnership Center (PPPC) Executive Director Ma. Cynthia Hernandez, Department of Energy (DOE) OIC Chief Investments Specialist Liza Pangilinan, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Chairperson Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las.
The Local government awardees include the Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino Co Ongchuan, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, Provincial Government of Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando, Cavite Governor Athena Bryana Delgado, llocos Norte Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos, Laguna Provincial Administrator Dulce Rebanal, and General Trias Mayor Luis Ferrer IV.
