THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) recorded a 51.39 percent jump in job creation from January to May 2025, driven by its aggressive push for ecozone development and strategic investments across key industries.
During its recent board meeting held on May 21, 2025, Peza Director General Tereso Panga attributed the increase in employment to growing investor confidence in the country’s special economic zones.
“This consistent growth in job creation affirms investor confidence in the Philippine ecozone program, especially in strategic and emerging locations. Our focus remains on inclusive growth by developing ecozones beyond urban centers,” Panga said, in a statement.
From January to May, Peza approved 102 new and expansion projects worth P66.34 billion (approximately US$1.1 billion), marking an 80.14 percent rise in investments compared to P36.83 billion in the same period last year. The projects are expected to generate roughly 29,000 direct jobs and over $1 billion in export revenues.
The largest share of investments went into the food and beverage sector (43.74 percent), followed by ecozone development (32.52 percent) and IT-business process management (7.59 percent). Other active sectors included electronics and automotive manufacturing.
South Korea emerged as the top source of investments, accounting for 16.12 percent of total approvals, boosted by the newly ratified South Korea–Philippines Free Trade Agreement. The United States, China, Japan and the Netherlands also remained among the leading investor countries.
Peza’s promotion of the “China+1+1” investment strategy — encouraging companies with China operations to consider the Philippines as a regional base — has also attracted a wave of inquiries from international firms. Panga noted ongoing discussions with Malaysian and Indonesian firms looking to expand into the country.
Despite some global trade uncertainties, including pending U.S. tariff negotiations, Peza remains optimistic. The Create More Act, passed earlier this year, has enhanced the Philippines’ competitiveness through performance-based fiscal incentives, further encouraging foreign and domestic investment.
To support sustained growth, Peza is also accelerating digital transformation, streamlining approval processes and developing new ecozones, particularly in emerging locations such as Palawan.
“We are on track to meet our 2025 targets,” Panga said, “and position the Philippines as a top manufacturing and innovation hub in Asia.” / KOC