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The Philippine Economic Zone Authority recently concluded an investment mission to Australia and New Zealand to promote the Philippines as a strategic partner for digital health, IT, and manufacturing firms through participation in the Digital Health Festival 2026 and various business forums
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The delegation featured eight private companies, including three PEZA-registered firms: Advanced World Solutions, Inc., Pointwest Technologies Corp., and Visaya KPO Corp
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PEZA held bilateral meetings with international firms to explore expansion, including AI provider Appen Butler Hill Pty Ltd., which plans to add over 1,100 jobs, and the Financial Advice Association Australia, which scheduled an August study tour in Cebu to evaluate local outsourcing capabilities
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During the visit, the delegation toured the Victoria International Container Terminal in Melbourne, a subsidiary of the Philippine-based International Container Terminal Services, Inc., to underscore the importance of modern logistics for export growth
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) recently concluded an investment promotion mission to Australia and New Zealand, aimed at attracting firms in the digital health, information technology, and manufacturing sectors.
PEZA director general Tereso Panga led the delegation, which participated in the Digital Health Festival 2026 in Melbourne and conducted a series of business forums in Sydney and Auckland. The mission sought to highlight the Philippines as a regional partner for high-value services and logistics, according to a press release from the agency.
The delegation included representatives from eight private companies, including PEZA-registered firms Advanced World Solutions, Inc., Pointwest Technologies Corp., and Visaya KPO Corp.
During the trip, PEZA held bilateral meetings with several international firms exploring expansion opportunities in the Philippines. Among them was Appen Butler Hill Pty Ltd., an AI training service provider that reported plans to create over 1,100 new jobs in the country. Other companies, such as A.S. White and the Financial Advice Association Australia, also engaged with the delegation to discuss potential service collaborations and workforce expansion. The Financial Advice Association Australia is scheduled to conduct a study tour in Cebu this August to further evaluate local outsourcing capabilities.
READ: PEZA approves P46.5B in Q1 2026 investments, notes pivot to high-value activities
The mission takes place against the backdrop of strengthening economic ties between the Philippines and Oceania. Australia and the Philippines elevated their diplomatic relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2023. Trade data indicates that two-way trade between the Philippines and New Zealand reached a record NZ$1.63 billion for the year ending March 2025.
As part of the visit, the delegation toured the Victoria International Container Terminal in Melbourne, a subsidiary of the Philippine-based International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI). PEZA officials said the visit highlighted the importance of modern logistics infrastructure in supporting export-oriented economic zones.
READ: ICTSI’s Melbourne unit gets 26-year contract extension
As of 2025, there are 91 Australian companies registered with PEZA, representing over P19 billion in investments and employing more than 40,000 workers, according to agency data.
