Marcos signs law giving 99-year land lease to foreign investors

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law a measure allowing foreign investors to lease private lands in the Philippines for up to 99 years, Malacañang announced Saturday.

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Republic Act (RA) 12252 or the Act Liberalizing the Lease of Private Lands by Foreign Investors amends RA 7652 or the Investors Lease Act, which seeks to boost foreign investments and provide a "stable environment for foreign investments."

Under RA 12252, signed on Sept. 3, 2025, foreign investors with duly registered projects may now enter into lease agreements for private lands for a maximum of 99 years but the President may shorten this period to investors under "vital services or industries considered as critical infrastructure" for reasons of national security.

The leased land must be used exclusively for the approved investment project and be proportionate to the project’s requirements.

Contracts must be registered with the Registry of Deeds and annotated on the land’s title to be binding against third parties.

Registered contracts cannot be altered or canceled except through direct legal proceedings, a provision meant to strengthen investor confidence and ensure predictability.