The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced that as an added incentive, foreign investors visiting the Freeport zones in the country – Clark, Pampanga and Subic, Zambalez, can avail of the government’s “visa-free” program.
An agreement was signed recently by BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan with Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) administrator Armand Arreza and Clark Development Corp. [...]

Local banks have agreed to help raise and lend the Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) P14-billion for its construction of a 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant in La Paz, Iloilo City. The Panay Energy is owned by George Ty’s Metrobank group, and the loans were arranged by First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC), the investment banking arm [...]

The Home Development Mutual Fund (HDMF), more popularly recognized as he Pag-IBIG Fund launched a bond offering which will be auctioned to the public on March 9. The state-administered fund manager will be offering P12 billion bonds starting next month.
Jaime Fabiaña, chief executive officer of HDMF said that the proceeds of the funds would be [...]

Salmat, an Australia-based business process outsourcing firm has been in the country since 1996, but company general manager of strategy Philip Hadcroft said they were doing mostly transactional services that served on the Philippine market.
Now, the Salmat has decided to put up an 800-seat facility at McKinley Hill in Taguig City, their first major investment [...]

A Singaporean firm is planning to invest $7.5 million in a local gaming company. Straitwey, a Singapore-registered company who is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japan Gaming Development Organization (JGDO) and is the investment entity used by JGDO to invest into projects within the gaming industry, is investing the $7.6 million in the primary [...]

Foreign companies are looking at the Philippines as possible investment target in their search raw materials for infrastructure projects. Investors from India and China want to prepare for the global economic recovery and thus are exploring the possibility of investing in the mining industry in the country.

Filinvest Land Inc. plans to increase its stake in two property firms. The property unit of business tycoon Andrew Gotianun, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, said that its board approved the purchase of the 40% stake of Africa-Israel Properties Philippines Inc.  in Cyberzone Properties Inc.  (CPI) and the 40% interest of Africa-Israel [...]

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. is looking for a strategic financial partner that can help it pump up its investment portfolio. This is keeping in line with company’s goal of becoming one of the key players among the league of independents in deregulated oil industry.

The Kepco SPC Power Corp. (KSPC), a joint venture between Korea Electric Power Corp. and SPC Power Corp, acquired a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the construction of a major power plant in the Visayas.
The ADB has approved the grant of $120-million 12-year term loan for the construction of a 200-megawatt (MW) [...]

The RD Corporation, a Filipino owned company, is planning to expand its investment in the tuna cannery business and is earmarking about $15 million for its prospect. This was disclosed by RD Group chairman Rodrigo Rivera, who said that they will be starting the new cannery by the first quarter of 2010 and will be [...]

With P26.4 billion in cash as of September, with half of which is “readily deployable for investment,” according to the firm’s managing director John Eric Francia, the holding company of Ayala group is looking for more business acquisitions in different sectors where it can make an “impact.”
Francia said, “Investing in new businesses is definitely on [...]

A total of 44 new investment projects in Subic worth $20.45 million has been approved by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).  The news was announced by SBMA administrator and chief executive officer Armand Arreza.
Arreza said the new batch of approved investments “signify the unfailing determination of the SBMA to generate more investments and create [...]

Starting today, Friday, property developer Megaworld Corp. will begin with the offering of five-year retail bonds carrying a coupon rate of 8.46% per annum. The Megaworld, in its disclosure to the Philippines Stock Exchange (PSE) said, it signed an agreement with joint lead managers and book runners BDO Capital & Investment Corp., and HSBC Ltd. [...]

The PERA Law or the Personal Equity and Retirement Account Law will be implemented by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in 2010 after different agencies of the government signed its implementing rules and regulations (IRR). BSP Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. spearheaded the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) and IRR of PERA [...]

First State Investment Management Ltd., a UK-based firm, and its units acquired a total of 5.438% stake in the Ayala-led utility firm Manila Water Co. Inc. according to the company’s disclosure report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A loan in the form of supplement investment agreement was acquired by the listed food service company Pancake House Inc.  The total amount of loans was P140 million, in which the company will issue the said amount in convertible loans to two Asia-based funds.
The proceeds of the loan will be used to pay for the [...]

the Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. (SPEX) is looking to invest an additional $80 million for the drilling of additional well under the Service Contract (SC) 38, also known as the Malampaya deep water gas-to-power project in Northwest Palawan. This was reported by Shell country chairman who said that the company would be pouring in additional [...]

To boost investment in the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) offered special visa for employment generation (SVEG) to foreign investors and expatriates. Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan announced that there were a total of 140 companies based in Philippines which have applied for the SVEG.

The government-controlled home development mutual fund Pag-IBIG Fund will also be coming out with its own bond offering within the next two months. The Pag-IBIG board has approved a P12-billion bond offering and it is now with the Department of Finance.
The Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) has been [...]

The Ayala-owned Manila Water Co. Inc.  submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Cebu provincial government for the development of a treated bulk water supply pipeline in the province. Latest reports say that the government has accepted the proposal of the consortium.