The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) yesterday said the P62 billion projects approved between January and August will generate 31,827 jobs.

PEZA said this is 72.91 percent higher compared to the 18,407 jobs created in the same period last year.

In the last board meeting alone, PEZA has approved P7 billion worth of investments which are projected to generate 2,300 direct jobs and $96.596 million in exports once operational.

The investments will be poured in 21 new and expansion projects:  six projects in manufacturing, six information technology enterprises, and four for ecozone development, along with one project each in the agro-industrial, facilities enterprise, ecozone utilities, ecozone domestic enterprise, and ecozone logistics service enterprise sectors.

These new and expansion projects will be located in Pampanga, Tarlac, General Santos City, Batangas, Cavite, Davao, Laguna, Cebu, and Metro Manila.

“New investments are expected in the coming months as a result of our participation in the China International Fair for Investment and Trade, the Philippine-Singapore Business Investment Summit, and other outbound missions lined up for the year,” said Tereso Panga, PEZA director-general.