PEZA secures PHP 105.83 billion in 2025 investments

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has approved PHP 105.83 billion worth of investments this year, achieving 42 percent of its annual 2025 target.

The announcement followed the PEZA Board’s first-ever meeting in Davao on Aug. 15, 2025, at the Anflo Industrial Estate in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

“Investors are voting with their capital, and they are choosing the Philippines as a place to grow their businesses,” said PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga.

“By bringing the Board meeting to Davao, we are showing our commitment to spreading progress beyond Metro Manila and building an inclusive, region-driven economy,” he added.

In August alone, the Board headed by Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque approved 29 new and expansion projects worth PHP 14.87 billion that are expected to generate 4,764 direct jobs.

Investment approvals dipped 8 percent compared to August 2024 because the Board held two meetings last year, a variation PEZA said is common under its mandate to convene as necessary.

“What we’re seeing now is still a healthy, robust pipeline of projects—and with our expanded regional engagements, we expect strong growth momentum in the months ahead,” Panga said.

The new approvals include 16 projects in export manufacturing, five in IT-BPM, four in domestic market-oriented activities, three ecozone development ventures, and one facility project, spread across NCR, Regions III, IV-A, VII, XI, and XII.

Four big-ticket projects account for PHP 11.24 billion in investments, including two new manufacturing ecozones in Tarlac, a 16-story facility in Davao City, and a steel manufacturing plant in Sarangani Province.

From January to August 2025, PEZA’s total investments grew 71.54 percent to PHP 105.83 billion, compared to PHP 61.69 billion during the same period in 2024.

The agency approved 179 projects this year, up 9.82 percent from 163 in 2024, which are projected to create 40,638 direct jobs, a 27.68 percent increase from last year.

Projected exports for January–August 2025 reached USD 3.38 billion, up 71.25 percent from USD 1.97 billion in the same period last year.

Investors from the Cayman Islands led by nationality, followed by South Korean, Chinese, American, and Dutch investors.

“With the volume of interest we are receiving, and the quality of projects in our pipeline, we are confident that the coming months will not just achieve our target for the year but also bring even greater gains for our economy and our people,” Panga said.