Philippines

New investments in the Philippines’ gaming industry are expected to boost tourism arrivals and bring inbound visitor numbers close to the 10m the government has targeted for the middle of the decade. On the down side, simmering disputes with some neighbours could make this goal harder to achieve and weaken the push to make the country the casino capital of the region.

A drive to increase the number of industrial parks opening their doors across the Philippines is gathering pace as the country moves to build on a landmark level of foreign direct investment (FDI) notched up last year.

A new law is expected to boost medical research in the Philippines, potentially opening doors to greater private sector involvement in the health services industry.

Air travel in the Philippines could see major changes this year, with the government working to improve airport services and update older facilities in Manila and Cebu City.

A new incentives programme to be rolled out across the Philippines next year is expected to help the government boost the renewables sector, while also meeting rising domestic demand for power.

After years of slow growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) following the global financial crisis, the Philippines is now showing high potential for a return to 2007 FDI levels. The country still lags behind some of ASEAN neighbours in overall investment per capita levels, although strong economic growth and new anti-corruption measures, combined with a recent credit rating upgrade from Fitch Ratings, have improved the Philippines’ reputation.