The “Ghost Month” has no match to the aggressive investment promotion and facilitation initiatives of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), as its eight-month investment approvals hit P105.83 billion, 71.54 percent higher than the P61.69 billion recorded in the same period last year.

In its official tally, the investment promotion agency said a total of 179 projects have been approved from January to August 2025, up 9.82 percent from 163 projects in the same period of 2024.

The said amount was also 42 percent of its annual target for 2025.

The investment approvals are expected to generate 40,638 direct jobs, representing a 27.68 percent increase compared to last year.

Projected exports for January–August 2025 are also significantly higher at $3.38 billion, up 71.25 percent from last year’s $1.97 billion.

Year-to-date, investors from the Cayman Islands lead the investments by nationality, followed by South Korean, Chinese, American and Dutch investors.

“With the volume of interest we are receiving, and the quality of projects in our pipeline, we are confident that the coming months will not just achieve our target for the year but also bring even greater gains for our economy and our people,” said PEZA director-general Tereso Panga in a statement on Thursday.

8% dip YOY but…

For this month, the PEZA Board, headed by Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, nodded to 29 new and expansion projects worth P14.872 billion, an 8 percent drop in investment approvals as the PEZA Board held two meetings in August 2024.

However, PEZA director general Tereso Panga maintained that the occurrence is common, especially as PEZA is mandated to convene as necessary to ensure that projects move forward without delay.

“What we’re seeing now is still a healthy, robust pipeline of projects — and with our expanded regional engagements, we expect strong growth momentum in the months ahead,” noted DG Panga.

The approved investments for August 2025 alone were seen to create 4,764 direct jobs, spanning a range of industries, including 16 in export manufacturing, five in IT-BPM, four in domestic market-oriented activities, three ecozone development ventures, and one in facilities that would be strategically located in the National Capital Region and Regions III, IV-A, VII, XI and XII.

Among these ventures, four big-ticket projects were approved, bringing in a combined total investment of P11.243 billion.

Moreover, two new manufacturing ecozones are expected to be developed in Tarlac, further strengthening its position as an emerging hub in the province and is seen to become a key player in the Luzon Economic Corridor.

Also, a 16-story facility in Davao City and a steel manufacturing plant with an expanded product line in Sarangani Province are expected to further spur countryside development.