The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expects new investments of at least P20 billion as it enforces stricter environmental standards on economic zones.
PEZA director-general Tereso Panga said around 40 of the 80 registered manufacturing and agro-processing zones nationwide would need to invest a minimum of P500 million each to build modern water infrastructure.
These include closed-loop systems with a centralized water supply, wastewater treatment and pre-treatment facilities to comply with the latest effluent discharge and water reuse guidelines.
“These are not optional features anymore. Every ecozone developer must ensure that their sites have the capability to recycle, treat and safely dispose of wastewater,” said Panga.
He said that if a zone does not have a centralized system, it should connect directly to the local water district.
The investments will also create opportunities for engineering, construction and utility providers, said Panga.
“The water systems are capital-intensive, but they guarantee long-term sustainability. They also give investors confidence that operations will meet global environmental standards, which is now a deciding factor for many multinationals,” said Panga.
Panga said agro-processing parks are required to integrate their plantations with processing plants and their own water treatment systems to avoid straining community water resources.
PEZA is also advancing new ecozone proclamations for a proposed 4,000-hectare site in Palawan and a project in Oriental Mindoro, both of which are set for endorsement to Malacañang.
A 200,000-hectare property in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, is being considered for a township ecozone under a public-private partnership.
“Our strategy is to roll them out in packets of development. Agro-industrial firms may start with their own plantations and processing hubs, while PEZA will connect them later into a unified network with power and water infrastructure,” said Panga.
While the Calabarzon region remains the country’s largest ecozone cluster, the new projects signal a push to spread agro-industrial development to underserved regions while embedding environmental safeguards in future growth, he said.
