EIGHTEEN new projects worth around P12.86 billion have been approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) Board during its first meeting this year.
In a news release on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, Peza said three of these projects are big-ticket items worth P11.89 billion, involving a tourism economic zone enterprise in Parañaque City, and two economic zone development projects in Misamis Occidental and Batangas.
All these projects — covering manufacturing, IT-BPM, utilities, economic zone development, logistics, and tourism — are expected to generate 1,005 jobs across several areas and produce about US$59.74 million in projected exports, Peza added.
The projects will be located in Calabarzon, National Capital Region, Central Visayas, Bicol Region, Northern Mindanao and Soccsksargen.
Peza said most of these investments are from businesses from Japan, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.
The latest approvals are, however, lower than the P30.16 billion approved by the Board during the same period in 2025.
“Investors today are taking a more deliberate approach — prioritizing resilience, efficiency, and long-term value. What is encouraging is that the Philippines continues to offer stable fundamentals that allow export-oriented investments to move forward with confidence,” Peza Director General Tereso Panga said.
“Resilience is built not just in times of expansion, but in how economies navigate transition. What we are seeing today is a steady recalibration — one that keeps the Philippines firmly in investors’ long-term plans,” he added.
Peza targets to have P300 billion investment-approvals this year, which could create around 100,000 new jobs. / PNA