Reaching approximately 24% of its 2025 investment target, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) capped the first quarter of the year with the approval of 66 new and expansion projects worth P58.947 billion in investments—a staggering 294.26% increase from the P14.951 billion in investments approved in Q1 2024 following its recently concluded board meeting on March 28.
PEZA Director General Tereso Panga stated, “PEZA’s continued upward trajectory reflects our strong commitment towards investment promotion and facilitation, coupled with our most generous fiscal incentives under the CREATE MORE [Act], and the other advantages placing the Philippines in a sweet spot for economic growth and development. PEZA continues to play a vital role in advancing the country’s economic resilience through sustained job creation, increased exports, and enhanced investment attraction.”
March 2025 Board Approvals
The PEZA Board greenlit a total of 27 new and expansion projects worth P6.014 billion, which is 110.66% higher than the P2.855 billion approved in the same period last year. These projects are seen to generate $223.497 million exports and directly employ more than 4,500 Filipino workers.
These projects encompass various types of industries, including 12 Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) projects, 10 export manufacturing businesses, two utilities projects, two ecozone development ventures, and one domestic enterprise which will be strategically located across Metro Manila and Regions III, IV, VII, and X.
Among these are two big-ticket ventures with a combined total of P2.615 billion set to create a water treatment facility in Batangas and a coconut milk production plant in Misamis Oriental.
The approval of these projects brought PEZA’s total for the year to 66 projects worth P58.947 billion, with projected exports of about $497.461 million and approximately 16,000 jobs for Filipino workers.
“We are bullish that we will sustain this upward trajectory coming into the second quarter of the year as we intensify our investment promotion initiatives partnered with the CREATE MORE incentives, the most generous fiscal incentives among ASEAN to date. We are already organizing various investment missions with our investment partners, and those led by OSAPIEA-DTI [Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs – Department of Trade and Industry],” stated DG Panga.
He added, “We already received several inquiries and hosted inbound delegations from the US, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Spain who are interested in investing in the ecozones. We are anticipating the influx of more investors looking into the Philippines for their offshore operations in Asia.”
PEZA remains at the forefront of positioning the country as a premier investment destination in the region, reaffirming its mission of eco-zoning the Philippines toward inclusive and sustainable development. (PR)