The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia, flanked by two major trade routes (the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea). Philippines is an ideal base for business and strategic point of entry of more than 500 million people in the ASEAN market. Philippines is the biggest copper producer in Southeast Asia and among the top gold producers in the world top ten. It is one of the countries that encourage foreign investment in all sectors and is working hard to attract investors as successful partners due to the services they introduce to the Philippine economy and their participation in the economic and social development of the Philippines, but there are exceptions in the negative list  of Presidential Decree No. 7042, amended in Presidential Decree No. 8179, of the Republic of the Philippines, related to the Executive Order No. 182, in the definition of the negative list for foreign investment:

According to these laws, foreigners are not allowed to put up the following businesses in the Philippines:

• Public Information.
• Private security agencies.
• Rice and corn industry.
• Practicing the profession.
• Retailing companies.
• Cooperative Associations.
• The use of marine resources.
• Mining Industry.
• Manufacture or repair or stockpiling or distribution of biological or nuclear weapons.
• Manufacture of crackers and fireworks.

The country opened up its economy by allowing foreign ownership of 100% in almost all sectors. Foreign direct investment, according to Republic Act (RA) No: 7042, also known as the Foreign Investment Act (FIA) of 1991, which is the basic law that governs foreign investments in the Philippines. Under this law, foreign businessmen are allowed to invest in the stock by 100% in companies that almost works of all types of business activities, but subject to certain restrictions, as stipulated, which ask the investment areas or activities that may be opened to foreign investors and at the same time reserved for Filipinos citizens.