The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expects to miss its 2026 target for new economic zone proclamations, even as investment approvals surge past its annual goal and threaten to eclipse the agency’s 2012 record.
PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said the agency had targeted 25 to 30 new ecozone proclamations this year but would consider 20 a satisfactory outcome, reflecting delays in getting proposed developments through the approval and proclamation process.
Around 17 to 18 economic zones had secured proclamations as of early November, although Panga said he still needed to verify the latest count.
“If we’re able to reach 20 with the proclamations, good enough,” he said, acknowledging that the final tally could be lower than the original goal.
Several privately developed manufacturing ecozones remain in the pipeline, including projects in Calabarzon, Ilocos and Pampanga. However, their progress toward formal proclamation could limit how many are counted before year-end.
The outlook for investment approvals is considerably stronger.
PEZA expects full-year approvals to reach P315 billion to P320 billion, potentially surpassing its previous record of approximately P312 billion set in 2012.
The agency has already exceeded its P300-billion annual target, with approved investments reaching about P309 billion as of October. Two board meetings remain before the end of the year, leaving room for additional projects to push the total higher.
PEZA is also looking to capitalize on the lifting of the moratorium on establishing economic zones in Metro Manila, which could open new opportunities for information technology parks in the capital region.
Panga said some proposed projects had recently secured board approval, raising the possibility that additional IT parks could obtain proclamations before December.
“Baka may mahabol pa this year,” he said, indicating that some projects might still make the year-end cutoff rather than spill over into 2027.
For next year, PEZA intends to set a higher investment target, although management will first evaluate the project pipeline before announcing its goal by early January.
The contrasting performance of the two indicators underscores that strong investor commitments do not necessarily translate immediately into proclaimed ecozones, which require separate regulatory approvals.
