Manila, Oct. 26 -- Philippine merchandise exports reached a record USD64 billion in the first eight months of 2026, as the government pushes for investments in higher-value activities such as chip design, engineering and research.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, chair of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council, said electronics accounted for USD37.1 billion of exports January to August, up 26.2 percent from the same period last year.

Recto said the Philippines aims to move beyond manufacturing and assembly as global demand for semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure grows.

"Nakikita na ng mga investors na isa tayong investment choice hindi lang para sa manufacturing at assembly kundi pati na ...