PEZA approvals as of Oct surge 42%
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) reported a 41.7-percent increase in approved investments from January to October amid “a more cautious investment outlook” for the Philippines.
In a statement on Friday, Peza said investment approvals totaled P175.37 billion as of end-October from P123.76 billion in the same period a year ago.
The latest tally represents more than 70 percent of the investment promotion agency’s P250-billion goal for the year.
Peza director general Tereso Panga reiterated the optimism about surpassing the 2025 investment goal, noting that there are still “strong pipelines of projects” under review.
While the broader investment environment remains cautious amid global uncertainties, Peza said its positive performance provides a measure of optimism for the country’s investment landscape.
“We recognize the current global and domestic factors influencing overall investment sentiment. Within this context, based on Peza’s performance, this reflects the continuing confidence of our locators and partners in the ecozone program and the country’s long-term investment potential,” Panga said.
During the period, Peza approved 243 new and expansion projects. These are expected to generate $6.08 billion in exports and generate 59,937 direct jobs for Filipinos. Some 27 big-ticket projects account for P140.11 billion of the total.
The manufacturing sector contributed 112 of the approved projects, followed by the information technology and business process management with 60 and domestic market-oriented investments with 21.
Japanese investors emerged as the leading contributors. Other nationalities include Cayman Islands, South Korea, China, Singapore and the United States.
In terms of island groups, 178 of the projects come from Luzon, 29 from Visayas and eight from Mindanao.
Peza also said it recorded P20.66 billion in approved investments from 28 new and expansion projects in October, a 162.64 percent surge from last year. These are projected to yield $1.59 billion in export revenues and 9,507 jobs.
On a regional scale, Calabarzon continues to be the powerhouse of investment with 23 projects, while the National Capital Region hosts four and Caraga has one.
Peza said the upward investment trajectory is seen to boost the country’s gross domestic growth forecast for 2025 and 2026, given the 10-percent rise in actual ecozone exports and 5-percent increase in employment between January and September.
