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Infrastructure market in the Philippines

Industry highlights

Can $1.252 billion

Canadian exports to the Philippines in 2021.

>1.5 million

Jobs in the Philippines’ infrastructure sector.

5.8%

Infrastructure’s contribution to the Philippines’ GDP.

Can $28 billion

Government spending allocated to infrastructure in 2021.

Building on the previous administration’s successful infrastructure program, “Build, Build, Build,” the new administration under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been actively advocating for public-private partnerships (P3s) as a favourable financing model for infrastructure projects.

In addition to national projects, local government units such as provinces and municipalities are encouraged to look at P3s as a means of pushing infrastructure development and other undertakings for socioeconomic benefit.

The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and is the second fastest-growing economy in the ASEAN. Increasing urbanization, a growing middle class and a young, English-speaking population continue to drive the local economy, thanks to strong consumer demand supported by a burgeoning labour market and steady remittances from overseas Philippine workers.

There is notable positive economic performance in the services sector, including business process outsourcing, real estate, finance and insurance.

Key opportunities for Canadian infrastructure companies in the Philippines

Notable challenges for Canadian infrastructure companies in the Philippines

Business landscape in the Philippines

The BOT Law (Republic Act No. 6957 as amended by Republic Act No. 7718) is the legal basis for P3s in the Philippines. It allows for collaborative partnerships between the government and the private sector that can be made possible through a broad range of modalities, including Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT) and Build-Transfer-and-Operate (BTO).   

To show the Philippine government’s commitment to P3s in 2013, the P3 Centre was created to oversee the programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Philippines’ P3 projects. It is currently under the responsibility of the National Economic and Development Authority, the Philippine government’s primary think tank for strategic socioeconomic development plans.

A few notable P3 projects in the Philippines include the following:

Three international airports are being planned under the country’s P3 program, and are led by big local conglomerates or infrastructure companies:

Rail projects are also being planned, as this is the preferred mode of modern mass transportation in various areas of the Philippines, especially in Manila and in provincial metropolises.

These projects include:

A complete list of Philippine projects at various stages of development is publicly available online.

Summary

The Philippines is an attractive market because its GDP growth for 2022 is projected to be 6.5%, higher than an earlier forecast of 6.0% by the Asian Development Bank. Infrastructure upgrades, including bridges, expressways, ports and railroads, continue to be the government’s top priorities.

Public spending on infrastructure this year and next year is expected to be up to 6.0% of the GDP to help improve the country’s business environment and competitiveness.

The Philippines is committed to and actively working on improving its infrastructure and is open to doing business with Canadian companies.

For more information on infrastructure in the Philippines market, please contact dodjie.Fabian@international.gc.ca.

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