PEZA approves nearly P16-B investments in June

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter

THE PHILIPPINE Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) approved nearly P16 billion worth of investments in June, mostly projects in export manufacturing and information technology-business process management (IT-BPM).

In a statement, PEZA said its board approved 22 new and expansion projects worth P15.85 billion in June, a 163.22% jump from the P6.02 billion approved during the same month last year.

Month on month, the value of June approvals inched up by 2.86% from the P15.41 billion approved in May.

The projects are expected to generate $401.05 million in export revenues and create 3,218 jobs, it said.

Broken down, the agency approved 12 projects in export-oriented manufacturing, five in IT-BPM, three in economic zone (ecozone) development, one in logistics, and one domestic market enterprise.

Eleven of the projects are located in the Calabarzon Region, three in Metro Manila, three in Western Visayas, three in the Davao Region, one in Central Luzon, and one in the Caraga Region.

The June approvals also included three big-ticket projects worth a combined P14.19 billion, which cover IT-BPM and ecozone development projects in Sto. Tomas and Alitagtag in Batangas, and Quezon City.

In the first half of the year, the PEZA Board approved 157 new and expansion projects worth P140.7 billion, up 94.42% from the P72.36-billion investments approved in the same period in 2025.

The approvals in the first half account for nearly half or 46.7% of PEZA’s P300-billion target for 2026.

The projects are expected to generate $3.37 billion in exports and 23,140 jobs, the agency said.

Of the total, 70 projects were in manufacturing, 24 in IT-BPM, 24 in ecozone development, 13 in facilities, 13 in logistics, seven in domestic enterprises, four in tourism, and two in utilities.

Approvals in the January-June period included 21 big-ticket projects equivalent to P122.84 billion.

Bulk of the investments were in export manufacturing (P78.2 billion), followed by ecozone development (P27.15 billion), tourism (P20.32 billion), and domestic market enterprise (P5.78 billion).

By region, the top investment destinations were the Cordillera Administrative Region (P50.05 billion), Central Luzon (P34.76 billion), Region IV or Southern Tagalog (P31.58 billion), and Metro Manila (P11.26 billion).

The PEZA-approved investment pledges mainly came from investors based in the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, and Japan.

In a statement on Monday, PEZA Director-General Tereso O. Panga said the rise in investment pledges in the first half reflect the Philippines’ attractiveness to global investors.

“PEZA’s first-half approvals send a clear message: the Philippines remains firmly on the radar of global investors,” he said.

“As companies reconfigure supply chains and look for competitive locations in the region, PEZA is ready to provide the enabling environment, investor support, and ecozone platform needed to turn these opportunities into real projects, jobs, and exports.”

The agency is also banking on the implementation of the updated Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) to attract investments in high-quality sectors.

PEZA noted that its recent meetings with delegates from Poland, China, the United States, and other domestic firms have generated strong interest in the country’s electronics manufacturing services, semiconductor manufacturing services, advanced manufacturing, automotive, aviation, maritime services, and IT-BPM operations.

Leonardo A. Lanzona, an economics professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, said he expects investment pledges to continue to grow in the second semester.

“For the second half of this year, approvals will likely stay directionally positive, supported by the newly signed SIPP to attract projects in advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said investment approvals could moderate amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainties.

“For the second half, I expect approvals to remain positive, but growth may moderate as investors continue to weigh geopolitical risks, global demand, and financing costs,” he said in a Viber message.

Mr. Rivera cited the need to maintain policy stability and improve ease of doing business to attract more investments.