The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is making a comeback under the Marcos administration, with investment approvals from 2022 to April 2025 reaching a total of PHP530.59 billion.

Annual data showed a consistent upward trajectory in PEZA-approved investments amounting to PHP140.7 billion in 2022, PHP175.71 billion in 2023, and PHP214.18 billion from January 2024 to April this year.

If sustained, PEZA’s rebound could hit or even surpass its historic peak in 2012 when it approved a record PHP312 billion in investments.

In a video released Thursday, PEZA reported that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has proclaimed 27 new ecozones across the country from 2023 to November 2024 alone.

In a message to the Philippine News Agency, the investment promotion agency (IPA) said these new ecozones have invested around PHP9 billion.

This has contributed to the creation of 1.8 million jobs in PEZA zones.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga attributed this growth to the administration’s focus on jobs and economic transformation.

“The bid of the President is to graduate to upper middle-income economy. It’s all about job generation, work. Because that’s what the country needs for us to graduate to an upper middle-income economy,” Panga said in a video released by the agency.

Last Tuesday, Panga tendered his courtesy resignation following President Marcos’ call for heads of agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), prior to the addendum to the Notice to GOCCs issued by the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) on Wednesday.

Panga joined PEZA in 1998 as a planning officer and rose through the ranks, holding key positions such as Zone Manager, Zone Administrator, Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning, and eventually Director General. (PNA)