The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) recorded P52.933 billion in investments following the board meeting last February 20.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga stated, “By attracting projects from priority industries?such as emerging technologies in the EMS-SMS sector?and fostering strategic collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry among others, PEZA continues to draw investments that stimulate regional economic growth and advance the nation’s industrial landscape.”

Trade Secretary and PEZA board chairman Cristina Aldeguer-Roque likewise highlighted the role of the CREATE MORE Act in this performance. She said, “The CREATE MORE Act is a game changer in the entry of foreign [direct] investments into the country [which] encourages more international investors to come given the longer set incentives being offered.”

From January to February alone, PEZA achieved a 337.58 percent increase in investment approvals, reaching P52.933 billion as compared to P12.097 billion in the same period in 2024.

The approval of 39 new and expansion projects for this period also recorded a 39.29 percent rise from that of last year. Additionally, employment saw an impressive 209.02 percent surge, with 11,063 direct Filipino jobs expected to be created.

PEZA saw an increase in investments from domestic market enterprises (DME), injecting P 37.972 billion or 71 percent of the total investments approved for Jan-Feb 2025.

Since 2024, PEZA already approved 15 DME projects injecting more than P130 billion investments. Three of these projects are expected to enjoy longer set of incentives for its above P15 billion investments. PEZA Corporate Communications Division