The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is tapping 200 economic zones along the Luzon Economic Corridor to attract manufacturing and technology investments, as the government seeks to strengthen the country’s position in regional supply chains and turn the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas route into a more integrated industrial hub.
PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said the corridor offers investors access to an established network of industrial locations and opportunities to develop supporting businesses around key logistics and manufacturing hubs.
“Throughout the LEC, 200 PEZA Ecozones are ready to serve investors,” Panga said at the 40th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry conference in Parañaque on November 4.
He said the concentration of economic zones along the corridor could help companies diversify their supply chains, establish cross-border business partnerships and tap into a wider industrial ecosystem.
The investment pitch comes as PEZA’s approved investments exceeded P309 billion in October, already surpassing its full-year 2026 target. Panga said the agency’s challenge now is to translate these commitments into actual economic activity, including expanded production, exports, technology transfer and job creation.
Nationwide, PEZA oversees 441 operating economic zones hosting more than 4,400 registered enterprises. These businesses account for approximately 13 percent of gross domestic product, according to Panga.
Manufacturing represents 32 percent of investments in PEZA zones, with electronics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing among the major industry drivers.
Beyond attracting capital and facilities, Panga said the country must also prepare its workforce for changes in production as artificial intelligence and automation reshape industrial operations and demand for skills.
The PEZA Advanced AI Tech Academy, launched in January, has recorded more than 16,000 training completions and certifications through partnerships with organizations including Stacktrek and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
While the Luzon corridor is a major focus of its investment promotion efforts, PEZA is also pushing economic zone development outside the main industrial centers to spread employment opportunities and help local businesses participate in domestic and international supply chains.
The broader objective, Panga said, is to make economic zones not just destinations for foreign capital but platforms for wider industrial development and higher-value employment.
