The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) announced that major Singaporean firms are considering expanding operations in the country’s ecozone, including the establishment of a sustainable industrial park.

PEZA director general Tereso Panga, who led the Philippine delegation in the two-day investment mission to Singapore, said they met Sembcorp Industries in Singapore to discuss the company’s interest in industrial park development in the Philippines, drawing from its experience in developing the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Parks or VSIPs.

Sembcorp, through its partnership with Vietnamese developer Becamex IDC, has developed the VSIP network into a major platform for integrated and sustainable industrial parks across Vietnam.

The parks support export-oriented manufacturing and high-value industries through reliable infrastructure, industrial facilities, utilities, logistics connectivity, and low-carbon energy solutions.

As part of the engagement, Sembcorp also provided the delegation with a learning tour of industrial development in Jurong Island, allowing PEZA to gain insights into Singapore’s approach to integrated industrial estate planning, shared infrastructure, utilities management, logistics connectivity, environmental sustainability, and the clustering of strategic industries.

Following the Singapore engagement, Sembcorp representatives visited Manila on 29 July 2026 to meet with PEZA and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and continue discussions on the company’s interest in developing industrial parks in the Philippines.

PEZA and Sembcorp discussed how a similar industrial park development model could complement the Philippine ecozone program and help establish next-generation economic zones integrating manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, sustainable utilities, and smart infrastructure.

“The VSIP model demonstrates how well-planned industrial parks can serve as powerful platforms for attracting quality investments, developing industry clusters, creating jobs, and accelerating regional growth. PEZA is keen to explore how Sembcorp’s expertise can support our goal of establishing more sustainable, smart, and globally competitive economic zones throughout the Philippines,” Panga said.

Also, PEZA contingents met with MNEX Chief Executive Officer Ms. Cindy Goh to discuss the company’s newly registered Philippine project and its long-term expansion plans in the country.

Formerly known as Meiban, MNEX is a Singapore-headquartered precision engineering and advanced manufacturing group specializing in precision tooling, injection molding, smart automation and assembly, and integrated product development.

In November 2025, the company registered with PEZA its P180-million molded-parts manufacturing project at the Light Industry and Science Park III–Special Economic Zone in Batangas. The facility will support the company’s manufacturing requirements for consumer, industrial, and other specialized applications.

During the meeting, MNEX also introduced the PEZA delegation to Flex Senior Vice President for Operations Benny Chew, opening discussions on potential investment and collaboration opportunities in the Philippines.

Flex is a global technology, supply-chain, and advanced manufacturing solutions company that helps leading brands design, source, build, deliver, and manage their products. The company provides end-to-end services encompassing product design and engineering, supply-chain management, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and aftermarket services for industries such as automotive, healthcare, consumer devices, communications, data centers, and industrial technologies.

Director General Panga welcomed MNEX to the PEZA community and thanked the company for facilitating PEZA’s engagement with Flex and helping expand the Authority’s network of prospective global investors.

“Singapore remains one of the Philippines’ most important investment and economic partners. Through this mission, we are supporting the establishment and growth of new PEZA locators such as MNEX while leveraging their global networks to connect the Philippines with leading manufacturers and supply-chain partners such as Flex,” Panga said.

PEZA also met with Nelson Lim, Chairman of the JP Nelson Group, through an engagement arranged by the Anvil Business Club and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry to explore potential investments and partnerships in industrial equipment, machinery, engineering solutions, and battery energy storage systems.

The JP Nelson Group of companies is a leading supplier of equipment and machinery and a major solutions provider to the construction, oil and gas, marine, offshore, shipbuilding, and related industries.

The Singapore-based group has also expanded into sustainable energy solutions, including mobile battery energy storage systems designed to provide cleaner and more efficient power for construction sites, industrial operations, and other applications.

Concluding the mission, the PEZA delegation met with Seatrium SVP for Supply Chain Leong Kok Weng to discuss potential areas of collaboration and hear the company’s long-term plans in the Philippines.

Seatrium is a Singapore-headquartered global engineering solutions provider serving the offshore, marine, and energy industries. Its capabilities cover the design, engineering, construction, repair, upgrading, and conversion of offshore platforms, rigs, specialized vessels, and other marine and energy infrastructure.

PEZA expressed its readiness to support Seatrium’s long-term plans in the country and facilitate partnerships that could strengthen the Philippines’ capabilities in marine engineering, shipbuilding, offshore energy, industrial services, and their supporting supply chains.

Panga emphasized that PEZA’s engagements with Singaporean and Singapore-based companies form part of the Authority’s strategy to attract high-value, innovation-driven, and sustainable investments while supporting the growth and expansion of existing investors.

“Our objective is to translate these engagements into concrete investments and partnerships that will deepen the Philippines’ participation in global value chains, expand our industrial and technological capabilities, create quality jobs for Filipinos, and accelerate the development of sustainable economic zones across the country,” Panga said.

As of this writing, PEZA hosts more than 150 operating enterprises with Singaporean equity, which have generated over P140 billion in cumulative investments and provided employment to more than 140,000 Filipinos.