The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) stepped up efforts to attract more Australian and New Zealand (NZ) investments as it promoted the Philippines as a strategic hub for digital services, manufacturing and high-value outsourcing industries during a business mission in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland.

Led by PEZA director general Tereso O. Panga, the Philippine delegation attended the Digital Health Festival 2026 in Melbourne and held a series of investment forums and company meetings to expand economic ties with Australia and New Zealand.

The mission comes as the Philippines pushes to position itself as a competitive destination for digital health, IT-business process management, logistics, advanced manufacturing and green industries.

“Through this mission, we wanted to show our Australian and New Zealand partners that the Philippines is not only a cost-effective destination, but a strategic partner that understands their business needs, work culture, and service expectations,” Panga said.

Strong language proficiency

“Our people’s strong English proficiency, adaptability, professionalism and natural warmth fit very well with the business culture of Australia and New Zealand. Through PEZA, we are ready to provide the right ecosystem, support and handholding needed for investors to grow and succeed in the Philippines,” he added.

The Philippine Pavilion at the Digital Health Festival featured eight companies, including PEZA-registered firms Advanced World Solutions Inc., Pointwest Technologies Corp. and Visaya KPO Corp.

PEZA also met with several Australian and New Zealand firms exploring expansion or partnerships in the Philippines.

Among them was Appen Butler Hill Pty Ltd., which said it plans to create over 1,100 additional jobs in the Philippines amid rising demand for AI training and annotation services.

Cloudstaff Pty Ltd., which operates in the Philippines as CS Global, also reaffirmed its expansion plans after growing its local workforce to more than 7,500 employees.