President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City, on Monday, July 22, 2024.
Business groups press PBBM and lawmakers to act on 22 reforms in 20th Congress
July 22, 2025
Philippine business groups and members of the Joint Foreign Chambers are urging President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and the lawmakers in the country to prioritize acting on 22 reforms revolving around sectors of energy, trade and logistics, data transmission, and natural resource management, among others in the 20th Congress.
“While both domestic and global challenges persist, the Philippine economy has continued to demonstrate its underlying strengths and growth capabilities and we see clear opportunities for sustained economic expansion,” the business groups stated in the letter sent in anticipation of the president’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
To harness this potential, however, the business groups underscored that “bold and decisive policy action is required.”
These groups said the proposed legislative measures encompass “major reforms” across various sectors, from energy and data transmission to natural resource management.
The list includes: Electric Power Industry Regulation Act (EPIRA) amendments, Cybersecurity Act, E-Governance Act, Digital Economy Act, Open Access in Data Transmission/Konektadong Pinoy Act, Freedom of Access to Information Act, Foreign Investors’ Long Term Lease Act Amendments, National Single Window System, National Land Use Act, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, Blue Economy Act, Civil Aviation Authority Act Amendments, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Charter Amendments and Holiday Rationalization Act.
Alongside legislative efforts, the business groups highlighted executive measures that “can deliver immediate impact and significantly bolster investor confidence.”
These include improving the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act and Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE), streamlining travel requirements for foreign tourists, and the review and suspension of RMC 5-2024 or the taxes on non-resident foreign corporations.
Apart from these, other measures included in the executive measures are to: Reconsider Digital and Integrated System for the Pre-Border Technical Verification and Cross-Border Electronic Invoicing of All Import Commodities (AO-23), Improve implementation of Ease of Paying Taxes Act, Reconsider Food and Drug Administration Revised Registration Fees (AO 2024-0016) and Review Extended Producers’ Responsibility (EPR) Act to better enable private sector involvement.
According to the business groups, these measures “form a unified reform agenda that reflects the business community’s commitment to supporting national development. Collectively, these measures will help attract quality investments, generate meaningful employment, and strengthen the country’s economic foundation for long-term, inclusive growth.”
The signatories to the letter are: American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham), Association of International Shipping Lines, Inc. (AISL), Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham), Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc. (JCCI), Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc., Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc. (PAMURI) and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI).