Renalyn Ramirez - Philstar.com
October 12, 2026 | 12:58pm
This screenshot photo shows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivering an arrival statement upon his return to the Philippines on October 12, 2026 after a five-day working visit in Singapore.
RTVM / Philstar.com's screenshot
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the investment commitments from Singapore-based firms upon his arrival in the Philippines after a five-day working visit.
Marcos arrived back in the country at around 1:54 a.m. on Monday, October 12, The STAR reported.
In his arrival statement, Marcos said he met with executives of FedEx, Mitsubishi Corp. and Vena Energy during his visit to Singapore, where investment pledges for the Philippine business and energy sectors were discussed.
Business investments
According to Marcos, Mitsubishi’s $700 million investment in Ayala Corp. was a significant deal, as it is “expected to be among the largest foreign equity investments in the Philippines in recent years.”
The recent deal would reportedly increase Mitsubishi’s ownership stake in Ayala Corp. from 4.7% to 15%.
Meanwhile, Marcos said FedEx had expressed strong interest in expanding its Clark Gateway Hub in Pampanga, which is expected to open in the last quarter of 2028.
This expansion, the president added, is set to help small and medium enterprises, or MSMEs, sell their products in the international market through the facility’s increased capacity to handle more air cargo and specialized shipments.
Renewable energy expansion
For the energy sector, Vena Energy had expressed its intention to expand its presence in the Philippines, which Marcos said is in line with the country’s energy agenda.
The president said the firm is planning to build more facilities that generate electricity from renewable sources to add generating capacity to its existing operations and produce up to 1.29 gigawatts of power.
Vena Energy is planning to invest P52 billion in this expansion project over the next two years, Marcos added.
The company’s existing operations in the Philippines include operational facilities with a combined capacity of 887 megawatts and other projects under construction with a capacity of 1.26 gigawatts.
Marcos said the investment pledge is aligned with the government’s goal of achieving a 35% renewable energy share in the country’s power supply by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
“I am confident that the interest shown by investors in these engagements will bring more high value investments, partnerships, technology, and jobs to the Philippines, particularly in sectors that will support our long-term growth and transformation,” Marcos said.
Nuclear energy plans. Meanwhile, Marcos said he also visited the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute to learn from the country’s studies on nuclear energy as a power source.
Marcos has consistently expressed support for integrating nuclear energy into the country’s power mix to lower electricity costs.
His push for nuclear energy has drawn criticism and concerns, especially from environmental advocates, over safety, radioactive waste management and financial risks.