The total number of manufacturing establishments with average total employment (ATE) of 20 and over covered in the 2005 ASPBI registered 6,554. This reflected an increase of 11.1 percent from the 5,901 establishments covered in 2003. Food except beverages accounted for the largest share with 17.8 percent (1,167 establishments) of the total. Wearing apparel comprised the second largest group with 12.1 percent (791 establishments). This was followed by chemical products and publishing and printing with 6.2 percent and 6.0 percent, respectively, of the total.

The 2006 Census of Philippine Business and Industry (CPBI) covered a total of 5,024 establishments with average total employment (ATE) of 20 and over. Majority of the establishments with ATE of 20 and over, or 84.3 percent, were private corporations, followed by manufacturing establishments having their legal organization as single proprietorship (13.9%). The remaining, comprising of 1.79 percent, were cooperatives, partnerships and government corporations.