The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said cumulative investments under its watch surged past P4.5 trillion, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of the country’s investment-led growth strategy.
Since its establishment in 1995, PEZA has generated more than 1.81 million direct jobs and contributed over USD1.12 trillion in exports, underscoring its long-term economic impact.
Speaking at PEZA’s 30th anniversary Investors Recognition Night in Pasay City on December 15, Director General Tereso Panga said the agency is poised to approve P300 billion in investments annually by 2026, potentially even sooner. Achieving this would return PEZA to its golden years between 2011 and 2015, when average yearly approvals reached P290 billion, peaking at P319 billion in 2011.
Panga noted that after a prolonged slump from 2016 to 2021, ecozone investments have rebounded strongly. Since 2022, approved investments have climbed steadily, reaching P214.18 billion in 2024, the highest level in seven years. This resurgence has also propelled PEZA into the elite GOCC “billionaires’ club,” allowing it to remit record dividends to the national government beginning in 2023.
Under the current administration, PEZA has registered 35 new and expanded ecozones, many located outside major urban centers.
Public ecozones are now in the pipeline for Bicol and Palawan, signaling a stronger push for countryside development. The agency has also approved 124 big-ticket projects worth P581 billion, expected to generate USD7 billion in exports and nearly 61,000 jobs, including a recently announced USD1-billion Samsung Electro-Mechanics investment.
PEZA is accelerating its digital transformation, rolling out cashless, paperless, and contactless systems to cut red tape and improve investor experience. Parallel efforts in sustainability, renewable energy, MSME integration, and workforce upskilling aim to future-proof ecozones, cementing PEZA’s ambition to keep the Philippines competitive in Asia’s investment race.
