Australian Business Delegation to Explore Investment Opportunities in PH

A delegation of 14 Australian businesses, including institutional investors and infrastructure firms, is scheduled to visit the Philippines this week to engage with senior government officials and explore potential business opportunities.

According to the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, the delegation will focus on investment opportunities and the regulatory landscape in several key sectors: agrifood, infrastructure, transportation, and energy. The group will also engage with representatives from Philippine conglomerates and Australian firms already operating in the country. Additionally, they will receive briefings from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on potential co-investment opportunities.

Leading the delegation is Macquarie Group’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Shemara Wikramanayake. The delegation includes top executives from Australia’s pension funds—Australian Super and Future Fund—along with institutional investors IFM Investors and Investible, infrastructure firm Plenary Group, resources equity firm EMR Capital, corporates ANZ and Telstra, and agribusiness companies such as Bega Foods, Costa Group, GrainCorp, Sunrice, and Pristine Pacific.

“Australia is continuing to seek opportunities to partner with the Philippines to help it reach its ambition to be an upper middle-income economy soon,” said Australian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. HK Yu in an emailed statement. “This mission is more than a commercial venture; it’s a testament to the enduring friendship between Australia and the Philippines. We’re not just investing in business deals; we’re investing in our shared future,” Yu added.

In March, the Philippines signed the second protocol to the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which is expected to benefit micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by enhancing their ability to participate in international trade.

Both the Philippines and Australia are active members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a trade pact that includes ASEAN, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.