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The Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Global Reporting Initiative launched a sustainability reporting guide for exporters
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The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for Exporters aims to provide Philippine exporters with a simple and standard set of disclosures to report, monitor, and track progress on their sustainability efforts
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Pilot implementation of SuRGE is set for this year and 2026 involving 50 volunteer manufacturing PEZA-registered business enterprises exporting to the US and EU
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) have launched a sustainability reporting guide for exporters.
The Sustainability Reporting Guidelines for Exporters (SuRGE) aims to provide Philippine exporters, particularly PEZA-registered business enterprises (RBEs), with a simple and standard set of disclosures to report, monitor, and track progress on their sustainability efforts.
“More than a compliance mechanism, SuRGE has evolved into a practical, forward-thinking guide for exporters to communicate their sustainability impacts, challenges, and progress. It is a roadmap for transformation— one that enables businesses to achieve sustainable growth while upholding social responsibility, environmental stewardship, and ethical excellence,” PEZA director general Tereso Panga said in a statement during the launch on May 13.
Panga said the initiative is in line with objectives of a memorandum of understanding signed by PEZA and GRI in 2022. The MOU aims to set out a structure for their envisaged cooperation that will contribute to the acceleration and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the advancement of sustainability reporting in the country, especially within economic zones.
SuRGE is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines and with the De La Salle University and Department of Science and Technology’s Animo Labs Technology Business Incubator as the official academic partner.
“We recognize that business models have evolved—and with changing market trends, sustainability and adaptability have become non-negotiable for long-term success. Simply put, to future-proof our industries and remain competitive in the global arena, we must integrate green technologies, reduce our ecological footprint, and align with our national climate agenda,” said Panga.
He added that locators’ voluntary compliance to GRI will be a big boost in PEZA’s bid to promote SDGs, ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and EID (eco-industrial development) frameworks “as we carry out our ecozone development program and as we position the Philippines as an investment destination for companies that value clean and green production agenda.”
PEZA deputy director general for policy and planning Anidelle Joy Alguso, in a presentation during the launch, said the pilot implementation of SuRGE is set for this year and 2026. It will focus on a group of 50 volunteer manufacturing RBEs exporting to the US and European Union (EU).
Alguso explained that these markets are being prioritized because they have set or are beginning to set “some really rigorous” sustainability standards, both in terms of product requirements and supply chain processes.
She noted, for example, that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has laid out rules requiring domestic public companies to disclose their climate-related risks and impacts while the EU corporate sustainability reporting directive was adopted to improve transparency on corporate sustainability practices.
Locally, the country’s SEC is implementing mandatory sustainability reporting for publicly listed companies by 2026.
“So, aligning early with these standards helps prepare our RBEs for long-term market access, particularly to these major markets, and even Japan and other countries that are already starting to dictate or require sustainable reporting…” Alguso explained.
She added that the Philippine implementation of SuRGE also helps ensure the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination, especially for investors from the US and the EU.
“This positions the country as a hub that supports responsible investment and sustainable industrialization. We can attract more high-quality investors seeking transparent ESG-compliant partners, thereby boosting FDIs [foreign direct investments] and elevating the overall competitiveness of the country,” Alguso added.
The pilot RBEs will undergo training to build capacity and sustainability reporting. Feedback and data gathered during the pilot phase will be used to guide future improvements and broader scale up in 2026 and 2027.
Post-2026, the project will cover domestic suppliers since they must also begin complying if they want to participate in the supply chain of exporters. Also to be covered next are high-impact sectors, who are those with large environmental or social footprints, as well as RBEs operating in areas with upcoming local or international sustainability regulations.
PEZA will also encourage early-stage support for SMEs with potential to expand or export sustainably, and those who will participate in the supply chain.
Sustainability reporting will be voluntary but will eventually become mandatory because “we really have no choice, especially if the buyers will start demanding for it,” Panga told media in an interview at the sidelines of the launch. – Roumina Pablo
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