An estimate of 20,000 jobs and Php 4.6 billion worth of investments are projected in the country after President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed the 12 new ecozone proclamations.
Under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), there are now 408 economic zones, 4,542 locator companies, and 6.5 million direct and indirect employees.
“We will recommend na ‘yung (that the) economic zone ay maging (to become an) Economic umbrella so that we can create jobs, we can attract investors to go to the countryside,” PEZA Director General Charito Plaza said.
The PEZA targets OFWs and displaced Filipinos who lost their jobs but are first preparing the training of potential employees of the said ecozones. The PEZA is one of the agencies pushing for the opening of jobs in different regions outside Metro Manila by establishing additional economic zones. Special economic zones are areas that attract investors to build offices and factories through privileges such as low taxes.
“Countryside ecozones have always been part of the plan but job opportunities are for all especially the workforce in the community,” DOLE ASec. Dominique Rubia-Tutay explained.
The DOLE stated the opening of ecozones in provinces play a big role in the resumption of work for 69,000 affected laborers. The NEDA also pointed out the value of investing by companies in various regions to uplift local economies. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio