The Board of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) announced the approval of the Palawan Mega Ecozone Project, the first and largest of its kind economic zone in the country comprising of 28,000 hectares of the Iwahig Penal colony in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The project approval on May 21, 2025 followed the signing of a memorandum of agreement by the PEZA-Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Jan. 24 this year where the latter’s large track of idle land would be developed into eco-friendly industrial estates.
The PEZA Board approval is the first step towards the process of a Presidential Proclamation for the creation of the ecozone project.
Already, an initial 4,000 hectares of 28,000 hectares are going to be transferred to PEZA for phase 1 ecozone development.
PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga is envisioned to help boost the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysa-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and promote stronger trade ties among ASEAN member states.
The Palawan Mega Ecozone is envisioned to attract environmentally responsible industries such as agro-industrial processing, renewable energy, eco-tourism, and marine biotechnology. “This will not only preserve Palawan’s rich biodiversity but will also uplift the livelihood of local communities through jobs and infrastructure development,” Panga was quoted in a statement.
