The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) kicked off the three-day InvestPH 2026 on Tuesday, March 17, with a plenary session that highlighted the investments prospects in key and emerging industries in the country as well as the response of the public and private sectors to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The investor conference, held at the Grand Hyatt Manila, drew over 300 participants including government officials, regulators, business leaders and heads of publicly listed companies (PLCs), foreign and domestic institutional investors, and fund managers.
“This year, I am especially encouraged that we have nearly doubled our foreign investor participation. To each of you who opted in: your presence is a vote of confidence, and we are grateful. That same confidence is being tested right now as you know – and rightly so. Markets are navigating heightened volatility driven by geopolitical tensions, shifting rate expectations, and an uncertain global outlook. Even our own market, which had climbed to a 14-month high, has felt these shocks. But volatility reveals character. It separates those who invest in stories from those who invest in substance. And when we look at the Philippines – our macroeconomic fundamentals, our young population, our expanding sectors – we find a country that remains resilient and relevant,” said PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo in his InvestPH 2026 welcome address.
The event featured a keynote message from Department of Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Zeno Ronald R. Abenoja shared updates on Philippine Monetary Policy.
A panel discussion featuring conglomerates on Fast-Tracking National Development Towards a More Competitive Philippines was moderated by HSBC Philippines CEO Sandeep Uppal with Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, GT Capital Holdings, Inc. Chairman Francisco C. Sebastian, and SM Investments Corporation Vice Chairperson Teresita T. Sy-Coson as panelists.
British Embassy Manila’s Deputy Ambassador Mike Welch discussed Harnessing Public Markets to Finance Sustainable Development while Bloomberg Intelligence ASEAN Equity Lead Jason Low presented on the economic and market outlook for ASEAN.
The panel on Clean Energy and Beyond: Powering Growth in the Philippines featured First Gen Corporation President and COO Francis Giles B. Puno, Meralco PowerGen Corporation President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio, Prime Energy Resources Development B.V. President and CEO Donnabel Kuizon Cruz, and BloombergNEF Head of South and Southeast Asia Shantanu Jaiswal with HSBC Managing Director and Global Head of Natural Resources Helen Li as moderator.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Commission McJill Bryant T. Fernandez, HSBC Head of Equity Capital Markets for Southeast Asia and Head of Capital Markets Advisory for Singapore and Malaysia Edward Lee, NTT DC REIT Manager Pte. Ltd. CFO Masayuki Ozaki, and ePLDT, Inc. and VITRO, Inc. President and CEO Victor S. Genuino shared their thoughts on Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) amid regulatory amendments seeking the expansion of eligible REIT assets. Milbank (Hong Kong) LLP Managing Partner James Grandolfo served as moderator.
UBS hosted a panel discussion entitled Philippine Capital Markets: Focus on Governance and Value Up Reforms with SEC Chairperson Atty. Francis Ed. Lim, ATRAM Trust Corporation President Phillip Hagedorn, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. CFO Manuel V. Pascua, Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. CFO Robert A. Yu, and UBS Philippines Head of Research RJ Aguirre as panelists. UBS AG Managing Director and Head of APAC Product Management Niall MacLeod moderated the discussion.
In his closing message, PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon shared that in order to accelerate growth, we should focus on enhancing the ease of doing business through less regulation, digital transformation, and implementation of practical reforms. He added, “At the PSE, we are not just observing; we are building the engine to sustain our growth. We are working on initiatives because the goal is clear: to transform the Philippine capital market into a platform that is not only strong, but also inclusive for every kind of investor”.
Aside from the plenary session, 250 one-on-one meetings between institutional investors and PLCs were held for the duration of InvestPH 2026.
InvestPH 2026 was co-hosted by HSBC. UBS Securities and the British Embassy in Manila were Session Sponsors, with Bloomberg as Knowledge Partner.
Maynilad Water Services, Inc. was the Grand VIP Sponsor of this year’s investment forum.
Apex Mining Co., Inc., Ayala Corporation, Manila Electric Company, OceanaGold (Philippines), Inc., Philippine National Bank, and RL Commercial REIT, Inc. were VIP Sponsors. DigiPlus Interactive Corp., DoubleDragon Corporation, and San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. were Elite Sponsors.
The Premier Sponsors of the conference include Alliance Global Group, Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Century Pacific Food, Inc., China Banking Corporation, D.M. Wenceslao & Associates, Incorporated, East West Banking Corporation, Globe Telecom, Inc., GT Capital Holdings, Inc., JG Summit Holdings, Inc., Megaworld Corporation, Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., and SM Prime Holdings, Inc.
DBS, First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation, Maybank Securities, and Regis Partners, Inc., were Broker Partners.
Photo 1 (from left): PSE President and CEO Ramon S. Monzon, Department of Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go, and PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo
Photo 2 (from left): GT Capital Holdings, Inc. Chairman Francisco C. Sebastian, Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, SM Investments Corporation Vice Chairperson Teresita T. Sy-Coson and HSBC Philippines CEO Sandeep Uppal
