Ecozone Investments Surge 70% in 7 Months, Driven by Export Push

MANILA, Philippines — Investments approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) rose by 70 percent from January to July, driven by the country’s push to expand its export capabilities. In a statement, PEZA said investment approvals reached P151.9 billion during the first seven months, up from P90.96 billion in the same period last year. The agency approved 174 new and expansion projects, 16 percent higher than the 150 projects approved in the same period in 2025. These are expected to generate $5.91 billion in exports and create about 26,047 direct jobs. Total projects during the January to July period cover various sectors, with manufacturing accounting for the bulk of the approved investments. It was followed by investments in information technology-business process management (IT-BPM), logistics, domestic market, ecozone development, facilities, tourism and utilities. The top foreign sources of PEZA-approved projects in the seven-month period are the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Germany. “We are seeing investments that are increasingly export-oriented, technology-driven and aligned with the country’s long-term industrial development goals,” PEZA director general Tereso Panga said. He added that these investments generate better jobs, strengthen the country’s exports and widen participation in the global value chain. PEZA-approved investments in July alone totaled 17 new projects valued at P11.21 billion. But this was nearly 40 percent lower than the P18.6 billion worth of approvals in the same month last year. Investments during the month are projected to generate $2.54 billion and create 2,907 direct jobs for the country. Approved projects in July included manufacturing, IT-BPM, ecozone development, domestic market enterprise and facilities. “Despite the economic headwinds both locally and abroad, today’s investments are increasingly moving back toward more export-intensive and higher-value operations,” Panga said. The agency reported that it has already secured more than half of its annual target in the first seven months, noting that the rest of the year will have continued investments that will expand the country’s production capacity, exports and employment. PEZA is targeting to reach P300 billion worth of investments this year, a 15-percent increase from the P261 billion investments approved last year. Source: Philstar Business