Press Releases

The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) commends President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for outlining his administration’s accomplishments and strategic visions during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last 28 July 2025. Most notably, the President affirmed in his opening statement: “The Philippines is ready. Invest in the Filipino,” signaling continued openness to European investment.

The Chamber welcomes the Marcos administration’s commitment to transparency and anti-corruption measures. In conjunction with the continued advancement of the EU-Philippines Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations and the Philippines’ removal from the European Commission’s high‑risk list for money laundering last June, we firmly believe these efforts will only serve to heighten investor confidence, improve market access, and reinforce the country’s position as a credible and attractive destination for trade and investment within the region.

Against this context, we emphasize our enduring call to streamline ease of doing business in the Philippines. European investors have remained at the forefront of contributing to the development of strategic sectors in the country, especially in renewable energy, which further highlights their willingness to invest in large scale projects so long as the government maintains an enabling and conducive business environment.

The President’s fourth SONA also reaffirmed his administration’s thrust into infrastructure development, energy security, education and human capital, and digital transformation, alongside economic reforms across the agriculture, logistics, and healthcare industries. This is a message that remains in sync with ECCP’s long‑standing and forward-looking advocacies throughout its sectoral committees.

We further note the strong emphasis placed by the President on enhancing our defense and security as well as the increasing call for disaster preparedness, as highlighted by the recent effects of Typhoons Crising, Dante, and Emong. In order to remain a leading, authoritative voice in line with this call-to-action, the Chamber continues to deepen its expertise through the establishment of new, relevant committees such the Defense and Disaster Risk Committee, while bolstering its initiatives and positions in existing committees.

To this end, the ECCP remains committed to collaborating with the Philippine government and relevant stakeholders to translate these strategic visions into tangible benefits that will greatly advance good governance, a sound regulatory environment, and sustainable economic growth.