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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Germany targets investment opportunities in Philippines' industrial hubs

Germany targets investment opportunities in Philippines' industrial hubs

Published Aug 18, 2026 06:25 pm
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)
The Philippines and Germany are exploring potential investment opportunities in high-upside areas such as the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In a social media post, the DTI said several priority and prospective areas of cooperation were discussed during the third Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting between Manila and Berlin on June 22.
During the meeting, both countries identified the LEC, alongside electronics and semiconductors and the energy sector, as priority sectors for cooperation.
Meanwhile, prospective areas for deeper bilateral ties include game development and climate financing.
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty, who chaired the JEC meeting, said these sectors were identified because they are supported by established policy frameworks and demonstrated market opportunities.
He also said these build on the respective comparative advantages of the Philippines and Germany amid current global economic and geopolitical challenges.
“For this third JEC meeting, I would like to stress that it is a major step towards a more targeted and concrete collaboration between the Philippines and Germany,” said Gepty.
“Our agenda items are not only well identified, but also strategic, practical and anchored on a solid foundation,” he added.
The JEC comes shortly after the visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to the Philippines last June, which marked the first visit of a German head of state since 1963.
The Philippines and Germany agreed to form the JEC in 2019 to strengthen economic ties. The inaugural meeting was held in September 2020, followed by the second meeting in March 2024.
In terms of the priority sectors under the JEC, the LEC stands out as one of the most promising investment vehicles for strengthening investment and trade ties between the two countries.
Launched in 2024, the LEC was established as a joint initiative between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan aimed at strengthening economic activity and facilitating the flow of investments across Luzon’s key economic hubs.
The LEC connects Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas, which account for approximately 50 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The initiative has since expanded this year to include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Earlier, Finance Secretary and investment czar Frederick Go said a new European country will join the LEC, with the country to be announced during the LEC investment forum in Manila set on Sept. 10 to 11.
One of the key projects under the LEC is the proposed artificial intelligence (AI) industrial hub in New Clark City in Tarlac, which is designed to attract investments in advanced manufacturing for key AI inputs such as electronics and semiconductors.
The government is in the process of encouraging investments in the site to strengthen its energy capacity ahead of the entry of these high-value investments.

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