PEZA: Luring investments to catalyze economic growth further
‘By hosting investor companies, PEZA has been the backbone of the Philippine economy, contributing 51 percent of its exports across the globe.’
Daily Tribune‘By hosting investor companies, PEZA has been the backbone of the Philippine economy, contributing 51 percent of its exports across the globe.’
Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Tereso Panga (right) welcomed a 16-member business delegation from the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce for International Cooperation in Private Sector on 16 June 2026 at the World Trade Center to explore investment opportunities in PEZA ecozones and deepen Philippines-China economic cooperation.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PEZA
For more than three decades now, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has been a proud provider of foreign direct investments that make the country’s economy sound and running.
From January to May 2026, PEZA has already approved P124.84 billion worth of investments across 135 new and expansion projects, representing an 88 percent increase from the P66.34 billion recorded during the same period in 2025.
For this year, the agency is targeting P300 billion in total investment approvals.
Surpassed target for 2025
PEZA, in 2025, surpassed its P250-billion approved investments target by achieving P260.89 billion, a 21.91 percent growth, which represents the highest investment figure since 2016.
“By hosting investor companies, it has been the backbone of the Philippine economy, contributing 51 percent of its exports across the globe,” PEZA director general (DG) Tereso Panga said in a Viber message.
He stressed that with the advent of the CREATE MORE Act, which seeks to enhance the country’s competitiveness of its incentive regime, PEZA is now able to compete with other countries in parity in terms of providing benefits and incentives to prospective investors.
“Within the Administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (since 2022), there has been a consistent upward trajectory in investment generation, which may reach the target of P300 billion in 2026 alone,” he said.
PEZA Charter change
“As for the future, PEZA is banking and building on the following: PEZA Charter change to serve the growing number of investors and ecozones; the Luzon Economic Corridor and Pax Silica; the Pantao Ecozone in the Bicol Region that serves as a gateway to the Pacific; and, the Philippine Mega Ecozone in Palawan which will tie-in the economy of the western part of the Philippines to the BIMP-EAGA corridor,” the PEZA chief noted.
He said in promoting ease-of-doing business, PEZA has strengthened its One-Stop-Shop system by embracing digitization of its systems, opening the AI Academy to upskill the workforce, and embracing new technologies to improve the sustainability and business environment in our ecozones.
PEZA Bill
According to Panga, PEZA continues to advance reforms and partnerships aimed at strengthening the country’s position as a competitive destination for foreign direct investments and a key player in global value chains.
On 18 June 2026, PEZA met with Secretary Frederick D. Go and senior officials of the Department of Finance (DoF) to present its draft PEZA bill, which seeks to expand and strengthen the agency’s functions in support of the country’s overall FDI attraction strategy.
The proposed measure aims to expand PEZA’s functions, allowing the agency to respond more effectively to investor needs and align with the country’s broader foreign direct investment strategy.
Secretary Go expressed support for enhancing PEZA’s role in investment promotion and in driving more responsive, investor-oriented reforms.
Building on this momentum, Panga formed part of the delegation led by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and DoF Secretary Go during their visit to Clark on 19 June 2026.
Texas Instruments
The delegation visited the facility of Texas Instruments, one of PEZA’s biggest and most valued locators, with over 40 years of operations in the Philippines.
During the dialogue with Texas Instruments, Executive Secretary Recto conveyed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision for the Philippines to become the next semiconductor and AI powerhouse in Asia.
“We want companies like Texas Instruments to see the Philippines as their long-term home for growth. And through the Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council, the government and industry players are working together to achieve that ambitious goal,” Executive Secretary Recto said.
The public-private collaboration was further advanced during the 5th Semiconductor and Electronics Industry Advisory Council (SEIAC) Meeting, attended by DG Panga, where government and industry leaders discussed initiatives to strengthen the competitiveness of the Philippine semiconductor and electronics sector.
Underscoring the role of ecozones
PEZA contributed to the discussions by underscoring the role of ecozones in attracting strategic investments, building supply chain resilience, generating jobs, upskilling talent, and supporting sustained industry growth.
“PEZA remains fully committed to helping position the Philippines as a competitive hub for semiconductor, electronics, and other strategic industries. Through our ecozones, one-stop-shop services, and strengthened partnerships with government and industry, we will continue to create the enabling environment needed by investors to expand, innovate, and generate quality jobs for Filipinos,” DG Panga said.
As the country’s premier investment promotion agency, PEZA has been actively marketing the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) to foreign investors.
With the LEC hosting 137 ecozones and around 1,600 firms across Metro Manila, Clark and Batangas, PEZA aims to anchor the next wave of industrial expansion and secure the country’s place in global value chains.
Japanese investments
Meanwhile, Panga, in partnership with the Science Park of the Philippines, Inc. (Science Park), and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), successfully conducted a Japan Investment Mission covering key investment and industrial centers in Fukuoka, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Yokohama, Tokyo, Maebashi-Gunma, and Nagano.
The mission formed part of PEZA’s continuing efforts to sustain the investment momentum generated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s recent state visit to Japan, where several PEZA-registered locators announced expansion projects amounting to approximately P60 billion and expected to generate around 10,300 jobs.
Building on this strong vote of confidence from Japanese investors, PEZA and Science Park pursued targeted engagements with Japanese companies, chambers of commerce, local governments, financial institutions, academic institutions, and industry organizations to advance expansion prospects, generate new investment leads, and promote the Philippines as a strategic and competitive investment destination in Asia.
“Japan remains one of PEZA’s most important and longstanding investment partners. This mission allowed us to directly engage existing and prospective Japanese investors, respond to their expansion requirements, and present new opportunities in our ecozones. We are encouraged by the continued confidence of Japanese companies in the Philippines, and PEZA will continue to provide the investor support, ease of doing business, and reliable ecozone environment that they need to grow,” said Panga.