Marubeni mulls bigger Philippines footprint in health, sustainability

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese trading giant Marubeni Corp. is eyeing to scale up its investments in the Philippines, with plans to tap carbon credits for reforestation projects and expand into pharmaceutical distribution.

Finance Secretary Frederick Go recently met with Marubeni officials, who reaffirmed the country’s role as a key market for the firm’s long-term growth, the agency said in a statement.

“Marubeni likewise underscored that the Philippines remains an important market for its long-term growth and expansion plans,” the DOF said.

Go assured the company of the government’s support for policies that will help unlock more sustainable investments in the country.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued guidelines for the generation, management and monitoring of carbon credits in October 2025.

Under this framework, the Carbon Credit Certificate will serve as the DOE-recognized unit representing one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2-e) of emission reduction.

For Marubeni’s part, it signed a memorandum of understanding in 2023 with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Dacon Corp. and the University of the Philippines College of Forestry and Natural Resources to develop a carbon credit program through reforestation.

Headquartered in Tokyo, Marubeni is among Japan’s largest general trading and investment companies. It operates globally across various sectors including food and agribusiness, metals, energy, chemicals, aerospace and infrastructure.

In the Philippines, its portfolio covers power, water, health care, real estate and digital financing.