President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reopened Metro Manila to new Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered information technology parks and centers, easing a seven-year investment restriction while keeping the broader ban on other types of economic zones in the capital.
Administrative Order No. 45, signed on July 7, directs the PEZA Board to accept, process and evaluate applications for new IT parks and IT centers in Metro Manila. The order amends Administrative Order No. 18 issued in 2019, which suspended new economic zone applications in the National Capital Region to encourage businesses to expand into the provinces.
The latest policy creates a targeted exemption rather than a full policy reversal. Industrial parks, manufacturing zones and export-processing zones remain covered by the moratorium, preserving the government’s long-standing objective of dispersing economic activity beyond Metro Manila.
The move underscores the administration’s recognition that the capital remains the country’s primary hub for information technology and IT-business process management, sectors that continue to attract high-value investments and generate skilled employment.
Malacañang said allowing new PEZA-accredited IT facilities would help draw more investments, create jobs and strengthen Metro Manila’s position as the country’s leading information and communications technology center. The policy also supports the government’s broader strategy of improving productivity through technology-driven industries.
The decision could unlock fresh office developments and expansion plans for IT-business process management firms, technology companies and digital service providers that continue to prefer established business districts with mature infrastructure, reliable connectivity and access to a large talent pool.
At the same time, the continued ban on non-IT economic zones signals that the administration is attempting to balance two priorities, preserving the countryside development agenda while acknowledging that knowledge-based industries remain heavily concentrated in Metro Manila and require access to the ecosystem that has developed there over decades.
PEZA has been directed to issue the implementing guidelines for the new policy. Administrative Order No. 45 takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
