The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) Singapore, urged companies to look at the Philippines as a production and delivery base for regional and global markets, not merely as a consumer market.
Speaking at a Philippines-focused briefing organized by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) on 19 January 2026, PTIC-Singapore Commercial Counsellor Carla Grepo addressed Singapore-based companies exploring business and investment opportunities in the Philippines.
“When we talk about SME accessibility, we’re not just referring to consumer-facing retail or F&B where goods are simply imported and sold locally. At the same time, we understand that owning large facilities or infrastructure is often not the right entry point for SMEs,” Grepo said.
“You can consider other productive activities—services, components, or processes within larger value chains that create jobs and can eventually support exports,” she added.
The DTI official shared that SME-accessible opportunities can be broadly grouped into three areas. The first covers scalable services, including digital and IT work, creative and software-based services, and engineering or technical services linked to infrastructure projects. The second includes manufacturing roles such as components, testing, contract manufacturing, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), where SMEs can plug into existing value chains. The third consists of operational services with a physical footprint, allowing companies to invest gradually in facilities, equipment, and local teams.
The briefing highlighted that the strongest momentum is in sectors where companies are producing and operating locally, supported by domestic or export demand, or both. These include energy and energy transition, digital infrastructure, higher-value manufacturing, agri-industrial upgrading, and digital and creative services—all of which are covered by the country’s tax incentive frameworks.
Grepo shared that government incentives under the Republic Act No. 12066 or the CREATE MORE framework are structured to support companies that produce value locally. Eligibility is tied to investments in operations, employment, and capability-building in the Philippines.
The DTI executive also added that the government’s ongoing efforts to attract anchor investments in priority sectors generate demand for supporting services, components, and other SME-linked activities.
The panel was moderated by Tan Teck Lee, SBF Country Head for Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Panelists included Margarita Locsin-Chan, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, Aristotle Tan, Head of Institutional Banking, BDO Unibank, Inc. Singapore Branch, and Sherwin Urbano, Commercial Director of In.Corp. They shared insights on incentives, regulatory pathways and procedures, and opportunities for Singaporean businesses that are eyeing expansion in the Philippines.
SBF is Singapore’s principal business federation, representing over 20,000 companies across industries. The briefing forms part of SBF’s preparations for its Manila business mission scheduled for March 8–13, 2026, which aims to introduce Singapore companies to the Philippine business landscape and highlight investment opportunities.