The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has surged past a key metric, approving P237.1 billion in investments as of December 12—already beating the full-year 2024 total of P214.18 billion by nearly 11 percent and putting its P250 billion 2025 target squarely within reach.
With PEZA’s final Board meeting set for December 22, officials are confident approvals could climb even higher, capping what may be a record-setting close and signaling renewed investor confidence in the Philippines.
So far, PEZA has greenlit 307 projects, a 20.39 percent jump from last year’s 255. These approvals are expected to generate USD10.22 billion in exports, more than double USD4.69 billion total in 2024, and create 74,678 jobs, up 3.1 percent year on year.
Manufacturing led the charge with 146 projects, followed by information technology–business process management with 67.
Ecozone development, facilities, domestic enterprises, logistics, and utilities rounded out the list, pointing to a broadening investment base. Big-ticket commitments played a decisive role, with just 38 projects accounting for P191.48 billion of total approvals.
December delivered an especially strong finish. The PEZA Board approved 26 new and expansion projects during the month, up 63 percent from a year ago, with investments soaring around 2.3 times to P29.84 billion.
Projected exports spiked over 3.6 times to USD2.83 billion, while projected employment jumped nearly fourfold to 5,183 jobs.
Six large-scale projects worth P24.11 billion—spanning manufacturing, domestic enterprise, and ecozone development—powered the month’s gains.
“Surpassing our 2024 investment milestone ahead of year-end reflects growing confidence in the Philippines as a stable, competitive, and future-ready investment destination,” said PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga, underscoring the agency’s focus on translating approvals into jobs, exports, and long-term value for Filipinos.
