Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso Panga wants to double the country’s number of registered economic zones next year.
In a recent press briefing of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Panga said PEZA eyes at an additional 30 ecozones that can be decided in 2025. He said many developers want to put up ecozones in the Calabarzon and Central Luzon regions, and Cebu province.
He added, however, that PEZA is also pushing for ecozone development in rural areas. “We like to see more ecozones developed in Mindanao. The PEZA chief said the investment promotion agency also targets more information technology parks outside metropolitan areas and fast urbanizing regions.
Panga said an investment to develop a 25-hectare ecozone amounts to about PHP1 billion to PHP2 billion. “The challenge now is how to provide readily available areas for investors inquiring about potential sites. If you don’t have land to offer them, especially economic zones, then easily like that, we lose them to other competitors in the region,” he added.
In the same briefing, DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque said they want to integrate micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the ecozone supply chain. She urged MSMEs to look into opportunities of locating their operations within PEZA zones so they could avail of incentives and partner with other ecozone locators.
“So, it’s something we need to push aggressively to create awareness on what DTI has to offer to these MSMEs. We support the plan on how to integrate more MSMEs into the ecozone value chain. To do that, we really have to support the creation of ecozones in the countryside. They go hand in hand with MSME development including in the countryside,” she stressed.
Roque said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has proclaimed 16 additional ecozones this year.
