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The Philippine Economic Zone Authority approved P175.37 billion worth of new and expansion projects as of October
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The amount represents a 41.72% year-on-year increase
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Approved projects are expected to generate US$6.08 billion in exports and create nearly 60,000 direct jobs
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Japanese investors reclaimed the top spot among foreign proponents, followed by Cayman Islands, South Korea, China, Singapore, and the US
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Domestic market-oriented investments also saw a significant increase to P84.312 billion
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In October alone, PEZA recorded P20.66 billion in projects, up 162.6% y-o-y, creating 9,507 jobs and generating US$1.58 billion in exports
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CALABARZON Region remained the top investment hub, particularly Laguna, which hosted three big-ticket projects totaling P16.33 billion
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PEZA remains confident of meeting or exceeding its P250-billion investment goal for 2025, with several other projects still under review
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) approved P175.37 billion worth of new and expansion projects as of October, a 41.72% increase from the same period in 2024.
The projects are projected to generate US$6.08 billion in exports and create 59,937 new direct jobs.
From January to October, PEZA green lit 243 projects, with the Japanese reclaiming the top spot among foreign proponents, followed by investors from the Cayman Islands, South Korea, China, Singapore, and the United States.
Domestic market-oriented investments also saw a significant increase to P84.312 billion, which signals both the strong confidence of Filipino companies and the sustained interest of global players in ecozones and the country’s overall economic growth prospects.
“We recognize the current global and domestic factors influencing overall investment sentiment. Within this context, based on PEZA’s performance, this reflects the continuing confidence of our locators and partners in the ecozone program and the country’s long-term investment potential,” said PEZA director general Tereso Panga in a press release.
“Our focus remains on strengthening our ecozone program and ensuring a stable, transparent, and competitive business environment that supports sustainable growth,” he said.
In October alone, PEZA approved P20.66 billion worth of projects, a 162.64% surge from P7.87 billion in the same month last year. These projects are expected to generate US$1.58 billion in exports and create 9,507 jobs, nearly double the figures year on year.
Key sectors include export-oriented manufacturing, IT services, domestic market enterprises, facilities management, logistics, and ecozone development, signaling a “healthy diversification” of investment activity, according to PEZA.
The CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) region continues to lead in ecozone investments, particularly Laguna, where three big-ticket projects worth P16.33 billion were approved. The region remains a top destination for manufacturing and technology-driven investments.
“With over 70% of our investment target already achieved within ten months – and with strong pipelines of projects still under review – we are confident and optimistic of meeting and hopefully even exceeding our 2025 investment goal of P250 billion,” Panga said.
READ: PEZA nears P250B investment goal despite tariff, corruption risks
PEZA expects this growth momentum to contribute positively to the country’s growth domestic product performance this year and on to 2026, supported by a 10% increase in exports and 5% growth in employment among ecozone locators in the first nine months of the year.
READ: PEZA approves 71.5% more investments in Jan-Aug 2025
