Major business groups expressed mixed reactions to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s commitment to improving the country's investment climate during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), stressing that clear execution and consistency must now take precedence.

Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) Chairperson Elizabeth Lee said Marcos' focus on initiatives like the green lane program and ease of doing business offers a strong roadmap moving forward.

She added that the proposed Pax Silica artificial intelligence (AI) hub in New Clark City, which the President said is expected to generate "quality jobs and revitalize [the] economy," reflects the administration's intent to boost investor confidence.

“Industry will follow this closely and look forward to the fine print and execution as these policies roll out,” Lee said in a Viber message. “The priority now shifts to swift execution—lowering operational costs, cutting red tape, and ensuring reforms translate directly to the factory floor.”

For his part, Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) President Donald Lim expressed support for key priorities such as job creation, food security, support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and improved government services.

However, he stressed that these goals must move beyond rhetoric and turn into action. Specifically, MAP wants the administration to provide clear implementation timelines, promote policy consistency, and foster closer collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“Moving forward, we hope this is complemented by a stronger emphasis on long-term economic reforms that improve the investment climate, strengthen MSMEs, accelerate infrastructure and digital transformation, and make the Philippines more competitive globally,” Lim said in a Viber message.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President Ferdinand Ferrer, meanwhile, said he wanted to hear more detail on the Marcos administration's economic agenda for the remaining two years of the President's term.

“[I] wanted to hear more on the economic agenda and how the Philippines could remain competitive and streamline business processes, especially within ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), who are also going after [the] same investments,” Ferrer said in a statement.

Ferrer, who heads the country’s largest business group, noted that the SONA should have presented more concrete plans on regulatory certainty and the ease of operating a business in the country. He also hoped for more details on efforts to strengthen energy and food resilience against future shocks, along with planned collaborations with foreign partners.

On a positive note, Ferrer commended Marcos' push to strengthen trade facilitation through free trade agreements (FTAs), crediting them with helping MSMEs expand abroad.

However, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Executive Director Jayson Cainglet warned that FTAs, including those currently under negotiation, should not come at the expense of farmers, fisherfolk, and national food security.

“Any agreement must ensure a level playing field, preserve policy space to support local producers, and strengthen—rather than weaken—our capacity to feed our own people,” Cainglet said in a statement.

Cainglet added that the government must ensure incoming FTAs do not sacrifice the local agriculture sector by reducing tariffs on imported commodities, especially while the industry is already threatened by an influx of foreign goods.

“Further tariff reductions under new FTAs, without adequate safeguards for domestic producers, risk inflicting even greater damage on Philippine agriculture,” he warned.

Representing the government side, Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gil Taway IV backed Marcos’ vow to strengthen the country’s power supply.

Taway noted that APECO would directly benefit from the initiative, as a reliable and scalable power supply is crucial for attracting companies to the Casiguran-based ecozone.

“APECO will contribute to this national effort by opening the ecozone to investments in renewable energy generation, battery energy storage, power distribution infrastructure, and emerging clean-energy technologies,” Taway said. “Through these initiatives, APECO will help translate the administration’s energy agenda into new investments, jobs, and sustainable economic opportunities for Aurora and the country.”