President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed off on the Philippines’ 2026 Strategic Investment Priority Plan, placing artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data centers, and quantum technologies among the industries the government will actively court through tax breaks and investment incentives.
Marcos approved the plan through Memorandum Order No. 47 on May 21, with the Board of Investments and the Fiscal Incentives Review Board serving as lead architects of the document. The SIPP is the government’s official list of which industries qualify for perks under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act – meaning companies in listed sectors can apply for income tax holidays, reduced rates, and other fiscal support.
For the Philippine tech industry, this is the clearest signal yet that the government wants more AI and digital infrastructure investment flowing into the country. Under the plan’s Tier III category – reserved for activities considered critical to economic and technological development – AI and data science, cybersecurity, and data center facilities are all explicitly listed. Tier III activities are expected to contribute to higher productivity, innovation, new technologies, and high-value jobs, according to the memorandum.
Alongside AI and cybersecurity, the SIPP also prioritizes quantum technologies, aerospace manufacturing, hydrogen and nuclear energy, wafer fabrication, and additive manufacturing. Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies – including automation, robotics, Internet of Things, and AI-assisted manufacturing – are also on the list. On the energy side, renewable energy projects, energy storage systems, liquefied natural gas facilities, and electric vehicles and EV infrastructure are included as preferred investment activities.
Semiconductors and electronics, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, telecommunications infrastructure, ports, airports, public transport, and logistics facilities are also covered under the plan’s priority sectors. Creative industries and IT-BPM services remained among the preferred sectors, including hyperscalers, software-as-a-service platforms, animation, game development, and engineering design.
The 2026 SIPP is aligned with the administration’s “Ambisyon Natin 2040,” “Trabaho Para sa Bayan Plan,” and the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028. All concerned government agencies were directed to ensure synchronized implementation of the 2026 SIPP and facilitate investment projects through streamlined coordination and permitting processes.
The memorandum takes effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
