Competitive and Business-Friendly Bohol
Bohol is among the most business-friendly provinces as cited by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). The PCCI annually awards local government units (LGUs), including cities, municipalities and provinces, which have demonstrated outstanding efforts in instituting good governance reforms that will pave the way for increased competitiveness of LGUs.
Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI) 2024 Rankings
The Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI) is a program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that ranks cities and municipalities based on their overall competitiveness score, which is derived from five main pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and innovation.
The CMCI serves as a valuable guide for business community in deciding where to locate. For the public sector, it provides insights for policy making, development planning, and policy making, development planning, and investment promotion.
Province of Bohol:
- 2nd Most Competitive Province in Central Visayas
- 5th Most Competitive Province in Visayas
Awards and Citations:
- Most Business-Friendly Province in 2017
- Finalist and Special Citation in 2018
- Finalist in 2020
- Finalist and Special Citation in 2021
Regional Ranking:
- 1st Siquijor
- 2nd Bohol
- 3rd Cebu
- 4th Negros Oriental
Source: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Bohol, 2023
Indicative Costs of Doing Business
Power Rates
Source: Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI), BOHECO I & II, VECO, MECO, and MERALCO, 2025
Water Rates
Source: Bohol Water Utilities Inc., and Richli Water, 2025
Wage Rates
Source: National Wages and Productivity Commission – RTWPB VII (Wage Order No. ROVII-25)
Fare Rates
Source: Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), 2025
Rental Rates
Source: Bohol Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office (BEDIPO) Survey, 2024
Bohol Investment Board
Photos during meetings of the Bohol Investment Board
The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) is among the pioneering local governments in the Philippines to fully comply with DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2020-167, establishing the Bohol Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office (BEDIPO) through Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-019, also known as the Bohol Economic Development and Investment Code (BEDIC). This ordinance also institutionalized the Bohol Investment Board (BIB)—a key policy and decision-making body tasked with promoting strategic investments and administering investment incentives across the province.
The present administration has set its goal of reviving Bohol’s economy through good and clean governance, and in creating an environment that is business-friendly and easy for investors to locate in.
A business dialogue was immediately held in Panglao Island during the inauguration of the incoming governor in 2022 underscoring the business-friendly stance of the new governance. Gov. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado bared his strategic development agenda to guests from the business sector, potential investors, and other stakeholders who attended the dialogue. The governor is the certified chief marketer of the province who has communicated his open-door policy to potential investors.
The Bohol Investment Board (BIB) was then immediately organized to establish favorable and stable policies on local economic development and investment promotion, consistent with the provincial development goals. Soon after the inaugural meeting of the Evaluation Committee of the BIB in November of 2022, the evaluation criteria was established and also the processes to handle expression of intent, project concepts and proposals from private sector proponents in investment priority areas. Technical experts from government and the private sector comprise the Technical Working Committees who are on call to evaluate proposals and interact with project proponents.
To date, the BIB has conducted multiple investment forums and board meetings, passing 23 key resolutions in support of investment projects and policies. These efforts underscore Bohol’s proactive and investor-friendly stance, reinforcing the province’s position as a prime location for strategic and resilient investments.
Recently, the board has issued the first Certificate of Registration under the BEDIC, granting a five-year provincial tax incentive (35% of provincial tax due) and non-fiscal incentives to Mapalad Power Corporation for its 95.2 MW In-Island Diesel Power Plant in Ubay. The project is a vital infrastructure investment that strengthens Bohol’s energy security, especially during grid disruptions or emergencies.
Investment Priority Areas
Preferred areas for investments have been determined in Provincial Ordinance No. 2021-019 or the Bohol Economic Development and Investment Code in the New Normal. These areas are in consonance with the provincial strategic directions toward equitable local economic growth and sustainable development and harmonized with that of the national investment priority plan, which is anchored on the Philippine long-term development goals. The investment priority areas include economic activities that qualify for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives offered by the Provincial Government of Bohol.
I. All Qualified Activities Relating to the fight against COVID-19 Pandemic
a.) Essential Goods
- Production or manufacture of medicines
- Medical, surgical and laboratory equipment, devices, supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Consumables, such as, but not limited to, sanitizers and cleaning materials
b.) Essential Services
- Crematorium
- Columbarium
- Modernization of hospital laboratories
- Test facilities
- Hospital, medical and healthcare facilities
- Quarantine facilities
- Cold Chain Storage Facilities
c.) Green Business
- Provision of environment-friendly products or services
- Establishment of facilities using environment-friendly processes or clean technologies in the manufacture/assembly of goods
II. Light Manufacturing Activities
a.) Manufacture of industrial and consumer goods
III. Agriculture, Fishery, Forestry and Agro-Processing
a.) Commercial production of agricultural, including livestock, poultry, fishery and food products
b.) Processing of agricultural, including livestock, poultry, fishery, and food products
c.) Support services and infrastructure
- Nurseries, Sanctuaries
- Hatcheries
- Postharvest facilities
- Fish landing facilities
- Class AAA/AA Abattoirs/Slaughterhouse
- Cold storage facilities
- Processing/Packaging facilities
- Soil laboratory
IV. Strategic Services
a.) IT-BPM services
b.) Logistics services
c.) Port facilities
d.) Food testing laboratory
e.) Charging/Refueling Stations for Alternative Energy Vehicles except LPG-run vehicles
f.) Waste Treatment/Management Facilities
- Treatment, disposal and management facilities for medical, toxic and hazardous wastes; Waste water and sewage
- Waste material recovery and recycling facilities
- Waste to energy facilities
g.) Telecommunications
- Establishment of connectivity facilities for fixed and mobile broadband services
V. Disaster Risk Reduction Management/ Climate Change Adaptation Services
a.) Rehabilitation
b.) Elderly care facilities
c.) Weather surveillance, forecast, monitoring and information facilities
d.) Command centers/Emergency operation centers
VI. Housing, Logistics and PPP Projects
a.) Development of low-cost and socialized housing; resettlement housing
b.) Land and water transport facilities including mass transport system
c.) PPP projects including those initiated or implemented by Local Government Units (LGUs)
d.) Warehouse for utilization as relief warehouse in time of disaster
VII. Innovation Drivers
a.) Educational institutions/ Human resource development/ Training services and facilities
b. Financial/ Engineering/ Architectural/ Creative Industry, such as: design, visual arts and crafts including fashion, interior design and jewelry; software, computer games; marketing and advertising; media and publishing
c.) Establishment of Centers of Excellence
d.) Innovation centers and fabrication laboratories
e.) Business incubation hubs, co-working spaces
f.) Business establishments into e-commerce
g.) Natural health products
VIII. Inclusive Business (IB) Models
a.) Business activities of Medium and Large Enterprise (MLEs) that provide business opportunities to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) as part of their value chains
IX. Energy and Energy Efficiency
a. Renewable Energy (R.A. 9513)
b. Power generation, transmission and other activities using environment-friendly technologies that comply with relevant environmental laws
X. Water
a. Bulk water supply and distribution system
b.) Bulk water treatment and supply
c.) Water desalination
d.) Water (potable, groundwater, surface water, waste water) testing facilities
XI. Sustainable Tourism
a. Accommodation Facilities
b. Convention/Event/Meeting Centers
c.) Tourism training centers
d.) Eco-cultural-faith and agri-tourism facilities, including:
- Nature, adventure and theme parks
- Mountain, island resorts
- Pilgrimage and meditation facilities
- Museums
XII. Creation and Development of Economic Zones
a.) Economy Zone for agricultural production and processing light industry
b.) IT Park; IT Building
c.) Logistics Park near ports, such as: storage, shipment, distribution center and other related facilities
d.) Renewable Energy Eco-Industrial Park
e.) Tour
Incentives for Enterprises
Bohol aims to attract investments in the identified priority areas and offers both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to qualified investment projects and enterprises.
Types of Projects for Registration
- New Project
- Expansion Project
- Modernization Project
- Green Business Project
Fiscal Incentives to Registered Enterprises
- Tax credit equivalent to 10% of the total cost of infrastructure project that shall be open for public use
- Exemption for a fixed period from real property tax imposed (i.e., the 35% share of the Province)
| Scale of Enterprise | Fixed Period |
|---|---|
| Micro-scale Enterprise | One (1) year |
| Small and Medium-scale Enterprise | Three (3) years |
| Large Enterprise | Five (5) years |
Non-Fiscal Incentives
- Provision of a one-stop business registration and assistance center for simplified procedures
- Consistent advocacy and support for ease of doing business
- Other non-fiscal incentives as may be determined by the Bohol Investment Board
Bohol Business One-Stop Shop
In strengthening our poverty reduction program, we consistently spur growth of the local economy through entrepreneurship.
The Bohol Business One-stop Shop (Bohol BOSS), since its establishment, was successfully sustained as a facility for a one-stop assistance where the services of line agencies mandated in business registration such as business name registration of the Department Trade and Industry (DTI), stock or non-stock applications to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other relevant information from Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Pag-Ibig, Philhealth, Social Security System, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) and other agencies, are made available in one location and with streamlined business processes to facilitate investments and provide an enabling environment for the local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) industry.
The services of the Bohol BOSS have been consistently rated high by clients with 97.6% of the 4,618 clients are “very satisfied” with its services as per result of the latest Client Satisfaction Rating of the facility for the year 2024.
Available Business Registration and Information Services:
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
- Business Name Registration/Renewal
- Barangay Micro Business Enterprise Registration
- Information Assistance
- Corporate Online Name Reservation
- Pre-online Processing of Application
- Information Assistance
- Information Assistance
- Information Assistance
Telephone Numbers:
- +6338 422 8429 | 235 6039
Location:
- Old Capitol Building, C. Marapao St., Poblacion III, Tagbilaran City, Bohol
Negosyo Centers
DTI Negosyo Centers are also located in strategic municipalities all throughout the province.
