In boardrooms across the country, Filipino CEOs are already looking two steps ahead. The year 2026 is shaping up not as an election year, but as a staging year: the period when corporate leaders must position themselves and their companies for the turbulence and opportunities that will culminate in the 2028 presidential elections.
From Midpoint to Pre-Positioning
The Marcos administration hits its midpoint in 2025. By 2026, the political map will have shifted after the midterm elections, offering early clues as to who the serious contenders for 2028 will be. For business leaders, this is when alignments are quietly forged, networks recalibrated, and corporate bets placed.
“2026 is when the real positioning begins,” said one executive of a listed conglomerate. “The midterms will tell us who’s in play. From then on, every investment decision has to account for who could be sitting in Malacañang in 2028.”
Policy Milestones Ahead
2026 is also the year when many of the Marcos administration’s flagship initiatives reach crucial implementation milestones. Infrastructure projects under the “Build Better More” program, the rollout of renewable energy targets, and the maturing of digital finance regulations will all be tested. CEOs are watching closely to see whether these reforms will deliver or falter.
“If the projects are completed on time, it’s a boost for business confidence,” noted a banking strategist. “If not, we know we’re heading into 2028 with heavy baggage.”
Corporate Planning Cycles
Beyond politics, 2026 matters because it marks the start of a new wave of corporate planning horizons. Most conglomerates’ three-year strategies (set in 2023 after the pandemic recovery) will wind down in 2025. That means boardrooms will redraw their plans for 2026–2028: years that coincide directly with the run-up to the presidential elections.
This includes succession planning. Several family-led giants are expected to thrust their second-generation leaders into greater visibility by 2026, preparing them not just to lead companies but to navigate the political-economic realignment that an election cycle inevitably brings.
Investor Sentiment Window
Global investors also treat 2026 as a signal year. International funds, ratings agencies, and credit markets typically begin pricing in political risk about two years before Philippine presidential elections. The question they will ask: will the Philippines offer continuity and stability, or volatility and populism?
“The capital markets will start testing Philippine resilience in 2026,” a fund manager told Off Market Hours. “If companies can’t show strong governance and forward-looking strategies, they’ll struggle to attract global money in the two years before 2028.”
The 2026 Playbook
- In sum, boardrooms are drafting strategies built around:
- Political positioning: quietly engaging with emerging 2028 contenders.
- Policy monitoring: assessing which reforms will stick and which may stall.
- Liquidity and risk hedging: preparing for volatility in interest rates, inflation, and the peso.
- Succession and visibility: ensuring leaders are ready for the spotlight.
As one property tycoon put it bluntly: “2025 is the midpoint, but 2026 is the pivot. If you wait until 2028 to prepare, you’re already too late.”