Tereso Panga is ending 28 years at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), citing more than 100,000 jobs created during his leadership as his most meaningful contribution to the investment promotion agency.
In a farewell statement titled “Signing off with all the warmth,” Panga thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for appointing him three years ago as PEZA’s first homegrown director general.
He joined the agency in 1998 as a planning officer and rose through its ranks, describing PEZA as a second home and its employees as family.
“After 28 years of public service, PEZA has become more than my workplace. It has been my second home, and its people, my second family,” he said.
Panga noted that the jobs generated through investment promotion mattered more than the numbers themselves because they represented livelihoods and opportunities for Filipino families.
“These are more than statistics. They represent real livelihoods, greater opportunities, and brighter futures for Filipino families,” he said.
His departure comes as PEZA projects P315.5 billion in investment approvals for 2026, based on registration proposals and expansion plans reported during its Nov. 10 Management Committee meeting. The projection would surpass the previous record of P311.9 billion set in 2012.
Panga also cited P4.193 billion in dividends remitted to the national government over three consecutive years, the digitalization of agency transactions and completion of PEZA’s permanent headquarters.
Its workforce programs included an AI Academy that trained about 27,000 Filipinos and a Mold Industry Technology Center that equipped more than 8,000 workers.
Panga pledged to support his successor and ensure a smooth transition, expressing confidence in PEZA’s continued growth.
“I wish him every success and offer my wholehearted support for a smooth transition and PEZA’s continued progress,” he said.
He ended with a reflection on the purpose of public service: “Public service is not defined by the positions we hold, but by the difference we make in the lives of those we serve.”
