Despite a decline in August, investment pledges approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) in January-August this year managed to maintain a high 71.54 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
In a report, PEZA Director Tereso O. Panga said that PEZA’s total approval from January to August 2025 reached PHP105.83 billion, 71.54 percent higher than the PHP61.69 billion recorded in the same period last year. PEZA was able to maintain their robust growth despite an 8 percent decline in approvals in August.
For the month of August, the PEZA Board, headed by Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque, greenlighted 29 new and expansion projects worth PHP 14.872 billion seen to create 4,764 direct jobs for Filipinos.
As compared to last year, there’s an 8% dip in investment approvals as the PEZA Board held two meetings in August 2024. This occurrence is common especially as PEZA is mandated to convene as necessary to ensure that projects move forward without delay.
“What we’re seeing now is still a healthy, robust pipeline of projects—and with our expanded regional engagements, we expect strong growth momentum in the months ahead,” noted DG Panga.
The approved projects span a range of industries, including 16 in export manufacturing, five in IT-BPM, four in domestic market-oriented activities, three ecozone development ventures, and one in facilities. These will be strategically located in NCR and Regions III, IV-A, VII, XI, and XII.
Among these ventures, four big-ticket projects were approved, bringing in a combined total investment of PHP 11.243 billion.
Two new manufacturing ecozones are expected to be developed in Tarlac, further strengthening its position as an emerging hub in the province and is seen to become a key player in the Luzon Economic Corridor. Meanwhile, a 16-storey facility in Davao City and a steel manufacturing plant with an expanded product line in Sarangani Province are expected to further spur countryside development.
These latest approvals bring PEZA’s total performance from January to August 2025 to PHP105.83 billion in investments—71.54 percent higher than the PHP61.69 billion recorded in the same period last year.
A total of 179 projects has been approved so far this year, up 9.82 percent from 163 projects in 2024. These projects are expected to generate 40,638 direct jobs, representing a 27.68 percent increase compared to that of last year.
Projected exports for January–August 2025 are also significantly higher at US$3.38 billion, up 71.25 percent from last year’s US$1.97 billion.
Year-to-date, investors from the Cayman Islands lead the investments by nationality, followed by South Korean, Chinese, American, and Dutch investors.
The PEZA Chief stated, “With the volume of interest we are receiving, and the quality of projects in our pipeline, we are confident that the coming months will not just achieve our target for the year but also bring even greater gains for our economy and our people.”
