Peza approvals jump 34% to P155B as Japan leads inflows

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) cleared P154.7 billion worth of investments from January to September 2025, up 34 percent from a year earlier, putting the agency within striking distance of its P250 billion annual target.

Peza said the nine-month tally already accounts for 62 percent of the goal and reflects renewed investor appetite led by Japan, which has reclaimed its position as Peza’s top source of commitments.

Japanese firms pledged P14.8 billion, or nearly 10 percent of the total approvals, buoyed by a P9.1 billion food-processing facility in Tarlac City that will supply both local and export markets. The project, one of the biggest cleared in September, anchors new growth in the Luzon Economic Corridor and underscores Tokyo’s role as a long-standing driver of Philippine industrial expansion.

Peza greenlit 215 projects in the first nine months, a 20 percent increase from a year ago. These ventures are projected to generate more than 50,000 direct jobs and $4.5 billion in exports, almost 80 percent higher than last year. Manufacturing, particularly in electronics, automotive parts and food processing, continues to dominate with P42.4 billion in commitments.

In September alone, 36 projects worth P48.9 billion were approved, spanning manufacturing, IT-BPM, logistics and ecozone development. Eight large-scale ventures comprised most of that value, led by the Japanese food facility and a new economic zone in Quezon Province.

Trade Secretary and Peza Board Chair Cristina Roque said the momentum highlights the Philippines’ competitive position in Asia, while Peza Director General Tereso Panga credited outbound promotion missions and closer coordination with investors for Japan’s resurgence.

“Given the robust pipeline, we are not just on track to meet our P250 billion goal — we are poised to deliver even bigger economic wins in the final quarter,” Panga said. / KOC