Filinvest looks to sustain growth momentum in 2026

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February 10, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Gotianun-led Filinvest Development Corp. (FDC) is bullish on sustaining its growth momentum this year, anchored on the strong performance of its core businesses.

“We look forward to still continuing strong profit growth,” FDC chief operating officer Ysmael Baysa said in an interview, pointing to the group’s double-digit expansion in the first nine months of 2025 as a solid base.

From January to September 2025, FDC saw a 21-percent growth in attributable net income to P11.5 billion from P9.5 billion, propelled by robust results from banking, power, hospitality and sugar businesses.

For 2026, Baysa said the conglomerate is counting on brighter prospects in its banking, power and sugar businesses, while its real estate subsidiaries show early signs of recovery.

“We’re still optimistic about 2026. Of course, it is more challenging than 2025, but we’re optimistic about the outlook,” he said.

Riding on this optimism, FDC is continuing to accelerate its investments, with a sharp focus on the power business.

While no specific figures were provided, Baysa said the company intends to keep its 2026 capital spending “a bit comparable to previous years.”

FDC set aside around P24 billion for capital spending last year, with the bulk targeted at expanding its real estate portfolio.

“We’re spending more for our power business (in 2026),” Baysa noted, adding that real estate spending would be scaled back amid softness in the industry.

FDC Utilities Inc., the Filinvest Group’s power arm, is gearing up to inaugurate by the end of this month a 21-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Misamis Oriental, touted to be the largest in Mindanao.

“It’s energized, it’s producing power already and it’s undergoing testing and commissioning,” FDC Utilities president and CEO Juan Eugenio Roxas said.

Later this year, the company is also expected to begin construction on two additional projects in Mindanao.

These investments are aligned with FDC Utilities’ target of tripling its generating capacity to 1,350 MW by 2033, with renewables at the forefront of the expansion.

Currently, the company’s capacity stands at roughly 450 MW.

“We are generally small as far as capacity is concerned. Despite our size, we’d like to really contribute,” Roxas said, signaling plans to pursue further expansion outside Mindanao if opportunities arise.