DTI cuts back on overseas investment missions amid crisis
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has begun scaling back its international investment promotion activities to manage costs, as the Middle East war drives up fuel prices and clouds the agency’s outlook for 2026.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the agency had canceled a planned investment mission to Europe in late March, during which it was supposed to meet prospective investors in London and other cities.
The DTI regularly conducts overseas missions, such as Create More roadshows, to attract high-level international investors and meet existing investors planning to expand their operations in the Philippines.
However, rising fuel prices have prompted the agency to adopt several cost-cutting measures.
Since March 9, the DTI has been implementing a flexible work scheme under which job order and contract-of-service workers, except those in front-line positions, work from home every Friday.
For Roque, the agency’s main priority for now is domestic concerns, particularly price stability.
She said manufacturers of basic goods currently have sufficient supply, although price movements beyond April 16—the period covered by existing agreements—will depend on further discussions with producers.
“If ever may increase, talagang very minimal. For the manufacturers, parang okay naman sa kanila, (If ever there were an increase, it would be very minimal. The manufacturers seemed amenable to this.)” she said.
Beyond price stabilization, the DTI is also rolling out financial support for businesses affected by the crisis.
Roque on Monday launched a P4-billion loan facility for micro, small and medium enterprises through the Small Business Corp., the agency’s financing arm. The program offers loans ranging from P30,000 to P20 million, with amounts up to P5 million available without collateral.
Last month, the DTI also introduced a separate P2-billion loan program for overseas Filipino workers, particularly those displaced by disruptions such as the Middle East conflict.
Outlook dims for exports, investments
Roque said a prolonged war in Iran could result in a “sluggish” year for Philippine exports, tempering earlier optimism following a record $84.41 billion in shipment receipts in 2025.
Investment sentiment will also be “definitely affected,” she added, as investors remain cautious amid geopolitical risks.
As such, Roque said the DTI may need to recalibrate its 2026 targets if the conflict drags on.
In February, the agency set an export goal of $116 billion to $120 billion in goods and services for the year. It also set a P1-trillion investment target for the Board of Investments (BOI) and P300 billion for the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza).
So far, headline figures have yet to reflect the war’s impact. Philippine exports reached $14.47 billion in the first two months of 2026, while BOI-approved investments hit P47 billion over the same period. Peza, meanwhile, recorded P35.37 billion in approved pledges.
