Registered investments in the country’s ecozones reached P30.16 billion in January, a 1,263-percent increase from the P2.21 billion investments approved in January 2024, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) reported during its first board meeting this year.
The approvals read during the January 23 board compares with the P2.21 billion investments approved in January 2024.
PEZA’s top official said this must be a promising start for the agency to reach its goal of 9 to 10 percent increase in investments this year.
One of the projects involves a domestic market enterprise investing nearly P28 billion, or 92.8 percent of the total, in its beverage production and distribution facility in Tarlac City, Tereso Panga, PEZA director-general, said in a statement Monday.
He did not identify the company citing a nondisclosure agreement.
“This is a bright and promising welcome for 2025. The strong growth in our investment performance for January underscores our commitment to meet our 2025 target of P235 to P250 billion in investments,” the director-general said.
“It is an encouraging sign that we are on the right path to success,” he added.
In 2024, registered investments approved for PEZA ecozones stood at P214 billion.
The report added that 12 new and expansion projects approved so far this year will generate an estimated $32.18 million in annual exports and create 3,270 direct jobs.
The report said five of the approved investments were export manufacturing ventures, four were in information technology-business process management, and three were into domestic market projects. They are strategically located across Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and Central Visayas.
The biggest sources of investments came from the United Kingdom, China, the Netherlands, Australia, and Malaysia.