<\/p>\n
By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, <\/b>Senior Reporter<\/i><\/p>\n
INVESTMENT PLEDGES ap<\/span>proved by the Philippine Eco<\/span>nomic Zone Authority (PEZA) <\/span>surged in May, driven by an <\/span>increase in export-oriented man<\/span>ufacturing and data <\/span>technology-business pro<\/span>cess <\/span>management (IT-BPM) projects.<\/span><\/p>\n The PEZA Board approved 31 projects valued at P15.41 billion, a 446.89% jump from the P2.82-billion approved in May 2025.<\/p>\n The projects are expected to generate $364.73 million in exports.<\/p>\n Of the overall, 16 projects were export manufacturing enterprises, seven are IT-BPM projects; two are domestic market enterprises; two are economic zone (ecozone) developments; two are logistics enterprises; one is a facilities enterprise; and one is a tourism enterprise.<\/p>\n A lot of the projects will likely be positioned within the Calabarzon Region (16 projects), followed by the National Capital Region (six projects), and Central Luzon (two projects). <\/span><\/p>\n PEZA said Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao del Sur, and South Cotabato will each have three projects, while one project is positioned in Iloilo.<\/p>\n In the primary five months of the yr, PEZA approved 135 latest and expansion projects value P124.84 billion, up 88% from the P66.34-billion approved last yr.<\/p>\n As of end-May, the agency\u2019s investment approvals have reached 41.61% of its P300-billion goal for 2026.<\/p>\n Approvals within the January-May period are expected to generate $2.97 billion in exports and 20,012 jobs, the agency said.<\/p>\n Fifty-eight of the approved projects in the course of the period were in manufacturing, while the opposite projects were on ecozone development (21), IT-BPM (19), facilities (13), logistics (12), domestic market (six), tourism (4), and utilities (two).<\/p>\n Within the five-month period, 110 of the PEZA-approved projects are positioned in Luzon, 19 within the Visayas, and 6 are in Mindanao.<\/p>\n The investment pledges got here from investors based mainly within the Netherlands, South Korea, Indonesia, Germany, and Japan, the agency said.<\/p>\n In an announcement on Sunday, PEZA Director-General Tereso O. Panga noted sustained investor confidence within the Philippines despite <\/span>global economic uncertainties.<\/p>\n \u201cOur robust investment growth and the near tripling of projected exports exhibit that investors proceed to see the Philippines as a strategic location for business expansion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Mr. Panga also noted that PEZA has received interest from Middle Eastern firms considering the Philippines as a possible oil distribution hub. On the upside, we now have received some interest from the Middle East in making the Philippines their hub for oil distribution within the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),\u201d he told BusinessWorld<\/i> in a Viber message. \u201cIt is a de-risking strategy from their end, and one which will meet our objective of making a strategic oil reserve for the country.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Panga said the PEZA is \u201ccautiously optimistic\u201d of reaching its P300-billion goal of investment proposals, citing risks like geopolitical tensions within the Middle East and native political concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf these global headwinds are solved in addition to some internal political problems, we are going to achieve the goal by yearend,\u201d he noted.<\/span><\/p>\n At the identical time, Mr. Panga noted that the recent approval of the 2026 Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP) aligns with PEZA\u2019s aim to draw projects that support export growth and industrial upgrading.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 2026 SIPP is a big step forward in positioning the Philippines as a destination for high-value, technology-driven, and sustainable industries,\u201d he said. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIts stronger give attention to advanced manufacturing, innovation, and Industry 4.0 technologies aligns closely with PEZA\u2019s investment promotion strategy and our efforts to draw projects that generate higher-value exports, strengthen local industries, and deepen the country\u2019s participation in global value chains,\u201d Mr. Panga also said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. approved on May 21 the 2026 SIPP under Memorandum Order No. 47.<\/p>\n The SIPP identifies economic activities which will qualify for incentives under Republic Act No. 12066 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy Act.<\/p>\n Tier I activities under the newest SIPP include modern agriculture, state-of-the-art construction, mobile healthcare, ecological zones, and climate-related initiatives equivalent to carbon capture, waste-to-value, and circular economy projects, and for<\/span>est management for carbon credits. <\/span><\/p>\n Under Tier II, activities which may be incentivized include defense services, desalination, electric vehicle infrastructure, sustainable aviation fuel, and processing of critical minerals.<\/p>\n Tier III activities under the SIPP include artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, cybersecurity, hydrogen and nuclear energy, <\/span>and advanced research and design. <\/span><\/p>\n Mr. Panga said that the updated SIPP may help deepen the country\u2019s trade relationships with its ASEAN neighbors, particularly in AI supply chains. <\/span><\/p>\n Looking ahead, PEZA is aiming to draw projects that seek to leverage advanced technologies, strengthen local industries, boost export capability, and help the Philippines climb global value chains, Mr. Panga said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" REUTERS By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter INVESTMENT PLEDGES approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) surged in May, driven by an increase in export-oriented manufacturing and data technology-business process management (IT-BPM) projects. The PEZA Board approved 31 projects valued at P15.41 billion, a 446.89% jump from the P2.82-billion approved in May 2025. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":347452,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[18561,33,52609,26188,7012],"class_list":["post-347451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-approves","tag-investment","tag-p15-4b","tag-peza","tag-pledges"],"aioseo_notices":[{"message":"The permalink for this post just changed! 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