BOI & Bataan Partner to Boost Semiconductor & Electronics Investment

• • • • BOI and Bataan are formalizing cooperation to attract semiconductor and electronics investments, anchored by the 1Bataan Semicon and Electronics Summit 2025 and other partnership actions.
      • Bataan is promoting “ready platforms” such as the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) and PEZA-registered ecozones as landing zones for expansion.
      • The Philippines’ electronics sector remains a strategic national priority, contributing over half of merchandise exports, prompting investment agencies to deepen the value chain.
        
        

The Philippine Board of Investments (BOI), led by DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, is collaborating with the Province of Bataan to attract semiconductor and electronics investments. This partnership signals an early “investment pipeline” that could translate into incremental assembly/test (A/T) and EMS growth over time.

The initiative was highlighted at the 1Bataan Semicon and Electronics Summit 2025 in Balanga City, which gathered government, industry, and academe stakeholders to discuss strategic investment opportunities. By moving Bataan from a mere “manufacturing footprint” to an active investment target, the province can accelerate demand for common BOM items, creating potential procurement friction such as allocation pressure, expedited orders, alternate qualification, and spot buying.

Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB): Scale and aftercare positioning

The Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) continues to attract investment across industries, with ₱17.3 billion in committed investments from May 2023 to May 2024 and 155 registered businesses, including 17 expansion areas across the province.

Bataan’s freeport ecosystem is positioned as a facilitation-friendly base. The province’s investment portal highlights business facilitation systems (including one-stop servicing concepts and inter-agency coordination for permits and trade processes).

FAB was also recently recognized as Industrial Zone of the Year for Asia‑Pacific by fDi Intelligence, highlighting its attractiveness as an investor destination, including for technology‑oriented firms.

Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park (HEIP): PEZA ecozone footprint

Bataan also promotes PEZA-registered locations like Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park (HEIP), a 162-hectare industrial estate integrated within a broader mixed-use development. HEIP offers:

• Strategic location with access to logistics corridors connecting Subic Bay and Clark Freeport Zones.
• Cluster advantages for EMS and supplier networks, lowering operational costs and enhancing supply chain efficiency.

Ecozones like HEIP complement FAB by providing diverse, scalable landing zones for semiconductor and electronics investments.

Broader industry and export context

The Philippines has a long‑established role in the electronics and semiconductors value chain, particularly in assembly, testing, packaging, and electronics manufacturing services (EMS), supported by hundreds of firms across PEZA zones.

Recent export data indicates continued industry momentum, with electronics shipments rising year‑on‑year, reported 11.7% export increase in 2025.

At the policy level, the government established a Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (SEI) Advisory Council to support strategic growth under the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Industry (PSEI) Roadmap, setting a broader framework for future cluster development. Bataan’s collaboration with BOI represents an early indicator of capacity expansion that could affect BOM planning, component sourcing, and lead-time risk in the region.