President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is expected to proclaim the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm economic zone, the country’s first mega ecozone, this year to pave its operation before the President’s term ends in 2028.
Already, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Tereso O. Panga and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Jan. 24, 2025 as the next step in the development of the initial 2,000 hectares for the Palawan Mega Ecozone.
Panga said “We are proud to share that we have now entered the next important step for our ecozone development in Palawan.”
Following the MOA signing, Panga said the next step is the master planning and immediately start the development of this ecozone to create more employment opportunities for Filipinos, most especially persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
Panga also highlighted its recent partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to further strengthen the Philippine workforce.
In the coming years, Panga said the Palawan Mega Ecozone will become instrumental in attracting emerging and high-value industries like electric vehicle production, advanced manufacturing, green ores processing, nano tech, knowledge-based and AI-driven industries, medical-related industries, and blue industries among others. The impact of this project will be felt all across the Region to include an immediate heightened trade within the context of the BIMP-EAGA international framework.”
For his part, Catapang has pushed for the inclusion of Palawan in the Luzon Economic Corridor, which is seen to become the manufacturing hub of the country. “Palawan is the new frontier and we want to generate income for social development and food security,” added he added as among the visions for the Palawan Mega Ecozone.
According to Catapang, he envisioned thE mega ecozone to become “clean, green, and technology-driven” aligning with PEZA’s eco-industrial framework through smart mixed-use townships.
