Recognizing the ongoing flood control probe, British Chamber of Commerce Philippines Executive Vice Chairman Chris Nelson highlights that UK businesses and investors are observing government actions very closely and remain optimistic about business opportunities in the Philippines.

Nelson welcomed the recent appointments of Executive Secretary Recto and Finance Secretary Go, and reiterates continuous support from the Chamber, having previously worked with the Cabinet Secretaries in their previous capacities. He notes that investors are closely monitoring macroeconomic conditions and the overall Philippine economy, which Nelson believes is in a good position.

To support this momentum, Nelson reiterated the call towards the passage and encouraged movement on key legislation. The Chamber has always been a strong advocate of the Cybersecurity Act, and the recently signed measures including the Konektadong Pinoy Act and E-Governance Act.

He added that, “We want to see movement on legislation. We have been key advocates of the Cybersecurity Act. We would like to see that passed. We also worked strongly in favor of the E-Governance Act and we want to see the Implementing Rules and Regulations issued. What we want to do is we want to see the Philippines continue to move and open forward.”

In the same context, the Chamber also wants to see improvements in ease of doing business, particularly the digitalisation of local government units (LGUs). In a previous interview, Nelson has called for budget increases for LGUs to allow them to maximize operational capabilities of digital technologies in the delivery of government services.

Nelson stressed that now more than ever, the Philippines and Southeast Asia are an attractive destination for UK investment. With the tax increases in the UK, investors will be looking further afield for business opportunities. He highlighted the Chamber’s recent Meat Trade Mission in collaboration with the UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), in which a delegation of UK meat companies connected with companies in the local industry.

This reinforces the idea of further business investment opportunities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, and how the Chamber supports businesses across multiple industries. He added that, “Opportunities lie still in Southeast Asia and what we need to do to reinforce the Philippines, (a) as an import market and (b) as a gateway to Southeast Asia.”

The Chamber will continue to work on strengthening UK-Philippines relations by collaborating with the private sector led by Joey Concepcion alongside other local business groups ahead of the Philippine ASEAN Chairmanship. The Chamber expects to see more investments, citing the work with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as well as the 80th year celebration for diplomatic relations between the UK and the Philippines in 2026.