PEZA records P30.16B worth of investments in Jan
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has approved P30.156 billion worth of investments in January, with the newly registered business ventures and expansion projects expected to create 3,270 new jobs.
Peza, one of the Department of Trade and Industry’s investment promotions agencies, said that this marks a 1,263-percent increase from the P2.212 billion worth of investments it tallied in the same month of 2024.
The two standout projects on the January list are the P28-billion beverage production and distribution facility in Tarlac City and a P1.2-billion energy storage system at the Mactan Economic Zone in Cebu.
“This is a bright and promising welcome for 2025. The strong growth in our investment performance for January underscores our commitment to meet our 2025 target of P235 billion to P250 billion in investments,” Peza Director General Tereso Panga said in a statement.
Peza approvals reached P214.176 billion in 2024, a 21.89-percent increase from the P175.70 billion it recorded in 2023.
Approved investments reached P140.7 billion in 2022, P69.30 billion in 2021, P95.03 billion in 2020, P117.54 billion in 2019, and P140.2 billion in 2018.
The list of investments approved during Peza’s board meeting last Jan. 23 consists of 12 new and expansion projects.
Peza said that $32.177 million worth of exports are expected to be produced annually from these investments.
These span multiple sectors according to Peza, with the roster including five export manufacturing ventures, four information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) projects, and three domestic market projects.
Aside from the diversity in sector and locations, the investments were also made by firms from different key international markets including the United Kingdom, China, the Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia.
Peza said these are “strategically” located across Metro Manila, Calabarzon (Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Quezon), Central Luzon and Central Visayas.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, who also sits as Peza chair, highlighted the diverse range of investments, touting it is a testament to the versatility of the Peza ecosystem.
“The approved projects will not only strengthen our export sector but also generate substantial local employment, further fostering inclusive growth,” Roque said in a statement.
Investments registered under Peza’s economic zones enjoy a number of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including income tax holidays and special corporate income tax rates.
