MANDALUYONG CITY—The Board of Investments (BOI) spearheaded its first-ever nationwide capacity program for local investment officers through the BOI–Linangin ang Obligasyon at Kakayahan tungo sa Aktibong Lokal na Pamumuhunan (BOI-LOKAL) on 13–14 October 2025 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters in Mandaluyong City.
With the theme “Partners for Investment-Ready LGUs: Strengthening Local Investments for Inclusive Growth,” the two-day workshop gathered over 70 local investment officers from highly urbanized cities and provinces across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The event underscored BOI’s commitment to empower local government units (LGUs) as active partners in driving investment-led development, ensuring that local investment initiatives are effectively aligned with national economic strategies.
Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo emphasized the BOI’s vision of providing “red carpet treatment”—not red tape—for investors, underscoring that initiatives like BOI-LOKAL aim to equip and empower LGUs and their Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Officers (LEDIPOs) to be as effective as national investment promotion agencies in positioning the Philippines as a premier investment destination.
Through the initiative, the BOI seeks to build a nationwide network of capable local investment officers who can champion ease of doing business (EODB), enhance local investment promotion efforts, and contribute to the country’s overall competitiveness. The event also served as a platform for knowledge exchange, policy coordination, and best practice sharing to foster an investment-ready environment across all regions.
The event was attended by Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo, alongside key officials including BOI Investments Assistance Service (IAS) Director Ernesto Delos Reyes Jr., ADB Country Director Andrew Jeffries, Department of the Interior and Local Government–Bureau of Local Government Development (DILG-BLGD) Director Anna Liza Bonagua, and BOI Industry Policy and Planning Service (IPPS) Director Sandra Marie Recolizado.
ADB Country Director Andrew Jeffries commended the Philippines’ continued reform momentum and growing attractiveness to investors, noting that “the Philippines stands at an incredibly exciting juncture in its development journey, on the cusp of achieving Upper Middle-Income Country status.” He also stressed the critical role of LGUs as frontliners in investment facilitation, highlighting that their effectiveness in processing and communicating business requirements directly shapes investors’ first impressions of the Philippines.
The program featured plenary sessions and workshops focusing on investment facilitation, governance, and policy alignment. Highlights included the presentation of Executive Order No. 18 (Constituting Green Lanes for Strategic Investments); a discussion on the roles of LGUs in investment facilitation featuring best practices from Ilocos Norte, Northern Samar, and South Cotabato; and a session on fostering transformative governance for sustained local economic development led by the DILG-BLGD.
The event also marked the formal introduction of the Philippine Association of Local Investment Officers (PALIO), a newly established association that aims to institutionalize capacity-building, collaboration, and professional development among local investment officers nationwide.
Participants also took part in an investor journey mapping workshop where they identified challenges and strategies in investment facilitation and discussed the importance of the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP), which outlines the national government’s priority sectors and defines the vital role of LGUs in preparing investment-ready sites.
As the country’s lead investment promotion agency, the BOI remains steadfast in its mission to build strong local investment ecosystems and deepen collaboration with LGUs to position the Philippines as a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable investment destination. PR