The Philippine Economic Zone Authority plans to establish an economic zone in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to create jobs in the impoverished region.
Peza director-general Charito Plaza said the agency was preparing an agreement that would help the regional government of ARMM facilitate the entry of investments and create employment in the region.
Plaza said ARMM governor Mujiv Sabbihi Hataman welcomed the assistance.
“I learned that they have this so-called REZA or the Regional Economic Zone Authority, but it’s not working. So we offered them a partnership to create a Peza zone within the ARMM,” she said.
Plaza said Hataman was very pleased with the effort of Peza in reaching out to ARMM.
“He also asked help in creating employment for the people of ARMM and to help bring in investments to the region. There are many Middle East investors who wanted to produce Halal-certified products in ARMM,” said Plaza.
She said investors were keen on setting up manufacturing facilities for Halal cosmetics, clothes and food products in ARMM.
Reza is the regional equivalent of Peza. It can identify areas for investments and provides an independent set of incentive packages for locators and investors.
Plaza said the memorandum of agreement would authorize Peza to design the programs that would be adopted by the regional government to revive the operation of economic zones in the region.
“So now we will come up with the MOA and we will handle all the programs, including marketing and promotions,” she said.
Plaza said several multinational companies in Mindanao were expanding and it was timely that Peza came in to assist these companies.
Del Monte Philippines sent feelers to Peza that it would expand its production to serve more foreign markets, she said.
Plaza said Del Monte’s expansion would involve the creation of new processing plants.
ARMM consists of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan and Marawi.