President Marcos encouraged local government units (LGUs) and agencies to set their goals according to the country's national priorities.
"I encourage everyone to align your organizational goals with our national priorities so that we can push for even greater economic transformation together," Marcos told LGUs and national government agencies during the Gawad Bayanihan sa Pamumuhunan Milestone event on Thursday, March 13.
"Let us nurture our commitment to investment facilitation. Let us support reforms that will attract even more high-impact and sustainable investments," Marcos added.
In his speech, the President recognized that "progress is never the work of one" but "the result of diverse sectors moving as one—aligned in purpose, determined in execution," he said.
"The road to a more dynamic investment climate and more globally competitive Bagong Pilipinas is paved with our shared commitment to ensuring that every investment translates into real, tangible benefits for our people," he said.
He emphasized that his administration has made it a priority to create a business landscape where both local and foreign investors can thrive.
During the event held at Malacañan, Marcos recognized the contributions of stakeholders from national government agencies and LGUs for the implementation of Executive Order (E.O.) No. 18 – ‘Constituting Green Lanes for Strategic Investments.’
The order serves as the government-wide response to enhance Ease of Doing Business by expediting, streamlining and automating government processes for strategic investments.
Marcos cited that through EO 18, the government created Green Lanes for Strategic Investments—a fast lane for big, high-impact projects for the Philippines.
"If you are an investor planning to build a factory, put up a renewable energy plant, or launch major infrastructure, you go straight to our Board of Investments. On average, it takes now 12 days—not months—for you to receive your permits and licenses, and you can start building right away," he said.
"The goal is simple: less red tape, more action, more results, more success, more quickly. We want investments to come in, projects to break ground faster, [and] jobs to reach our people sooner. Because when businesses move quickly, progress follows just as fast," he added.
The Chief Executive also cited the launch of the One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments, which compels agencies to move with speed, precision, and certainty, furthering the overall ease of doing business in the country.
As of last month, he added, the government certified 187 strategic investments across key sectors. These include renewable energy, digital infrastructure, food security, and manufacturing—amounting to a total investment value of over P4.6 trillion.