BOI Names Mindanao Hub for AI, Chip Design and Mineral Processing

Summary

• Board of Investments closes its 2026 SIPP Roadshow in Davao City, naming Mindanao a strategic hub for AI-enabled industries, integrated circuit design, mineral processing and food security.
• Announced Aug. 24 at the Philippine Economic Briefing, themed "Make Future Industries Happen," with BSP, DOF, DBM and DEPDev joining MinDA and the Bangsamoro Board of Investments.
• Fiber backbone build-outs by Converge ICT, InfiniVAN and PFOCN are already BOI-registered, deepening the digital infrastructure that anchors office, industrial and data-center demand.
• Investors should watch Davao, Iligan and CDO industrial corridors, where downstream processing and IC design create long-horizon tenant demand.

News Content

The Board of Investments capped its nationwide 2026 Strategic Investment Priority Plan rollout in Davao City on Aug. 24, positioning Mindanao as a platform for higher-value industry rather than raw-material supply. BOI Governor Marjorie Ramos Samaniego pointed to the island's nickel, copper and gold deposits as inputs for domestic processing and manufacturing, framed by the international Pax Silica push to secure semiconductor and critical-mineral supply chains. The agency cited BOI-registered digital connectivity projects from Converge ICT Solutions, InfiniVAN and Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network as foundational infrastructure, and flagged workforce readiness as the next lever — its Academe-Industry Matching program now partners with MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao. Officials stressed the need for "investment-ready locations," a direct signal to landowners and developers. Finance Secretary Frederick Go called for sustained public-private collaboration to convert approved investments into operating businesses.

Real Estate Outlook

"Investment-ready locations" is the operative phrase: serviced industrial land, PEZA-viable estates and fiber-served office stock near Davao, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro stand to capture the first wave. Talent-linked demand around MSU-IIT and Mapúa Malayan also strengthens the case for mid-market residential near campus corridors.