President Marcos secures $3.4 billion investment pledges in Japan

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has secured expanded economic commitments from Japanese investors following a high-level roundtable meeting with executives from leading conglomerates and financial institutions at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The President reportedly obtained an aggregate investment pledge of around $3.4 billion, or roughly P210 billion, from participating Japanese corporations during the engagement.

According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the combined commitments are expected to generate broad macroeconomic gains, including expanded industrial capacity in the country and the creation of thousands of specialized jobs for Filipinos.

The PCO also said the new investments highlight the strength of the Philippine market, with long-term benefits anticipated through improved supply chains, upgraded tourism infrastructure, and faster technology transfer across key sectors.

Marcos is currently in Tokyo for a four-day state visit upon the invitation of the Japanese government, where he is pushing for deeper economic integration between the two countries.

In his remarks before Japanese business leaders, Marcos emphasized the importance of strengthening the Philippine-Japan economic corridor, saying closer cooperation is essential in addressing global challenges and ensuring sustained growth.

“As we mark 70 years of the normalization of our diplomatic relations, we are no longer simply commemorating history. We are entering a new chapter – a chapter defined not only by friendship, but by deeper integration, shared growth, and a common belief in the future,” the President told the leaders of Japan’s largest conglomerates and financial institutions.

He also highlighted a coordinated government strategy led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Tourism (DOT), aimed at aligning infrastructure, industry, finance, human capital, and connectivity into a unified growth framework.

“The Philippines is pursuing a clear national direction: building an economy where infrastructure, industry, finance, human capital, and connectivity move together as one system of growth,” Marcos said.

He added that trade and tourism will serve as key drivers of the country’s economic expansion moving forward.

“Increasingly, we recognize that trade and tourism will be among the most important engines of that growth,” he said.

Marcos also pointed to long-standing Japanese investments in the Philippines, acknowledging companies such as All Nippon Airways, Toyota, Mitsubishi Corporation, Marubeni, Panasonic, and Fast Retailing for their continued role in supporting local industries and employment.

“You are no longer just investors in our economy. You are builders of it,” he told the business leaders.

He assured Japanese partners that the government is continuing reforms to improve institutional efficiency and strengthen long-term investment stability.

“We are modernizing institutions, environment, and positioning the Philippines so that trade and tourism can more strongly drive long-term economic growth and job creation,” Marcos said.

“To all our Japanese partners, you know the Philippines not from reports, but from experience. You know our workforce: skilled, adaptable, and globally competitive… Resilient in adversity, ambitious in opportunity, and increasingly connected to global trade and tourism flows. And you know something even more fundamental: That the Philippines is defined not by one strength – but by many working together,” he added.