New Iloilo IT ecozone to create 2,200 jobs

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

A new information technology special economic zone in Iloilo City is expected to generate more than 2,200 jobs as the national government intensifies efforts to disperse investments and livelihood opportunities outside Metro Manila.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed Proclamation No. 1128 declaring several parcels of land along Donato Pison Avenue in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao District, as the Atria Gardens IT Park Special Economic Zone.

Recto said the 4.8-hectare IT park is projected to attract about PHP 550 million in investments and create 2,200 direct jobs, strengthening Iloilo’s growing information technology and business process management sector.

“The new ecozones reinforce the Marcos Jr. administration’s push to disperse investments beyond Metro Manila, bringing economic opportunities closer to Filipinos,” he said.

Recto said the designation is expected to generate more employment opportunities for residents of Iloilo City and nearby areas while stimulating provincial economies.

“This means that more job opportunities await Iloilo and nearby areas, the economies of the provinces will grow stronger, and the livelihoods of our families will continue to improve,” he added.

Under the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995, or Republic Act No. 7916, as amended, and rules of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, registered ecozone locators are entitled to fiscal and nonfiscal incentives.

Fiscal incentives include income tax holidays of four to eight years for pioneer and nonpioneer projects, duty-free importation of capital equipment, value-added tax zero-rating, exemptions from wharfage dues, export taxes and most local government fees, and tax credits on raw materials.

Nonfiscal incentives include simplified customs procedures and special visas for foreign nationals employed by registered enterprises.

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said the new ecozone is expected to bring more jobs and income opportunities for Ilonggos.

“The expansion and creation of ecozones in our city will open more job opportunities and attract more investments as we continue striving and supporting one another toward success,” she said.

The Atria Gardens IT Park adds to the growing list of PEZA-registered developments in Iloilo City, which has emerged as a regional hub for IT-BPM firms in Western Visayas.

In August 2024, Marcos also designated another ecozone along Donato Pison Avenue in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao District.

The ecozone, known as The Grid, is another IT center that was initially expected to generate 250 jobs from three IT-BPM companies.

The Grid covers specific lots with a gross floor area of about 7,021.88 square meters in a five-story building within Atria Park District.

The project features more than 2,000 square meters of land area and was backed by an initial construction investment of PHP 193 million.