PEZA approves P35.3B in new investments

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it has approved 52 new and expansion projects worth P35.366 billion during its second Board Meeting on 27 February 2026 at the PEZA Head Office.

From January to February 2026, PEZA said the approved investments are expected to generate over 5,000 direct Filipino jobs,. Likewise, the approved investments reflect a 33.33 percent increase compared to the 39 projects approved during the same period in 2025.

Projected exports also surged to $10.442 billion, representing a remarkable 3,711 percent increase year-on-year.

Broad, diverse investor base

The approvals also reflect a broadened and diversified investor base, with new leading nationalities including South Korea, Indonesia, the British Virgin Islands, China and Japan — demonstrating strengthened global investor confidence in the Philippines.

Overall, the approved projects comprise 40 locator companies across manufacturing, IT-BPM, logistics and facilities development, along with 12 ecozone development projects, highlighting the growing depth of investment activity, sustained export expansion, and PEZA’s strategic push to accelerate industrial growth nationwide.

“While PEZA is cautiously optimistic about achieving double-digit growth in investment approvals this year, the approval of 52 new and expansion projects already underscores the continued diversification of industries within our ecozones and the steady expansion of investments across the countryside,” PEZA director general Tereso O. Panga said.

Focused on opening new frontiers

“We remain focused on opening new frontiers in ecozone development by broadening industry participation, deepening regional expansion, and strengthening the overall competitiveness of our investment ecosystem,” Panga added.

Trade Secretary and PEZA board chair Maria Cristina A. Roque likewise reiterated the need for aggressive ecozone expansion to attract high-value, export-oriented investments and stimulate regional development. She emphasized that this strategy seeks to deepen the integration of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into ecozone value chains while strengthening the country’s industrial competitiveness.

February 2026 approvals

For the month of February, the PEZA Board secured 34 new and expansion projects with P22.505 Billion in investments, projected to generate $10.382 Billion in exports, and create 4,044 direct jobs.

Among the 34 projects are various types of industries, including 13 export manufacturing, five IT-BPM projects, five facilities development, two logistics, domestic market project, one tourism, and seven ecozone developments. These projects will be strategically located in Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Central and Western Visayas and the Ilocos Region.

Three major ventures

Moreover, three major ventures are set to generate a combined investment of P18.367 billion through their upcoming projects in Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac.

Spanning tourism, domestic market enterprise, and ecozone development, these big-ticket investments reflect a strong multi-sectoral enterprise mix and serve as clear proof of the continued expansion and deepening of the country’s ecozone network in growth corridors outside Metro Manila.

“PEZA’s mandate goes beyond project approvals. Our mission is to transform every ecozone into a globally competitive, innovation-driven industrial hub that generates quality jobs, strengthens exports, and uplifts communities. By strategically expanding and modernizing our ecozones across the archipelago, we are laying down the infrastructure backbone of a more resilient, regionally balanced, and globally integrated Philippine economy,” Panga said.

Navigating global woes

Amid rising geopolitical tensions and volatility in global energy markets, PEZA also emphasized the need for prudent and adaptive investment outlooks for the remainder of 2026.

The escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and in other parts of the world, resulting in a surge in global oil prices and logistics challenges, may affect supply chains, and investor sentiment across export-oriented industries.