The Philippine Economic Zone Authority expects the Office of the President to approve 11 more economic zones this year as it moves to fast-track proclamations to support a P300-billion investment target for 2026.
PEZA director-general Tereso Panga said 28 economic zones are pending presidential proclamation following the approval of two ecozones earlier this year. The agency is prioritizing the remaining proposals to accelerate the entry of foreign capital into the country.
“We’re hopeful that the process will be a lot faster in terms of proclamation because we really need to accelerate the entry of investments,” Panga said over the weekend.
The 2026 investment target represents a 15-percent growth rate from 2025. Panga described the figure as conservative compared with the agency’s historical average annual growth rate of about 23 percent.
He said that while investment activity typically slows in January following peak operations in the fourth quarter, registrations are expected to pick up as companies ramp up operations in the coming months.
“We made some adjustments, but we’re trying to maintain a positive growth trajectory,” he said.
The current investment pipeline includes several big-ticket projects in the electronics, pharmaceutical, aviation and digital health sectors.
Panga confirmed that some electronics investments involve tier 1 suppliers to NVIDIA, while pharmaceutical projects are linked to shifting global supply chains.
He said these new projects were discussed during recent overseas investment missions.
To further improve the investment climate, the agency is preparing proposed amendments to its charter to restore certain regulatory powers.
These include authority over fire safety inspection certificates, expanded approval of different types of economic zones and mechanisms to expedite the proclamation process.
