Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., highlighted recent trade agreements—including the free trade deal with South Korea and ongoing negotiations with Canada and other markets—as key drivers for sustained export growth.

“These are positive indications, especially since we initially expected US tariffs to affect our exports. But our shipments grew by around 16 percent in 2025,” Ortiz-Luis said.

Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show total export receipts reached $84.41 billion in 2025, up 15.2 percent from $73.27 billion in 2024.

“Without new tariff adjustments, we are looking at good prospects for 2026,” Ortiz-Luis said.

US remains top market

The United States remains the Philippines’ largest export destination, accounting for roughly 15 percent of total export revenues. Half of exports to the US are electronics, with agricultural and other products comprising the remainder.

“Concerns about higher US tariffs did not materialize, allowing electronics to grow over 10 percent instead of the projected 2 percent,” Ortiz-Luis said. Agricultural exports such as coconut also retained zero-tariff treatment, preserving competitiveness abroad.

Call for government support

Ortiz-Luis urged the government to increase funding and policy support for exporters, particularly to address high fuel and electricity costs. He emphasized that a transparent, consistent, and stable policy environment is essential for attracting investors and sustaining growth.

He also highlighted improvements by the Anti-Red Tape Authority and positive developments in Philippine Economic Zone Authority zones, which have streamlined processes for businesses.

Ortiz-Luis cited the involvement of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos in export promotion, including the rapid rehabilitation of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) exhibition halls.

“With continued government collaboration, rising trade opportunities, and strengthened domestic competitiveness, Philippine exporters are well-positioned for a strong 2026,” he concluded.

Formalized through a memorandum of understanding, the partnership outlines coordinated efforts to develop and power PEZA-owned emerging ecozones, including the Pantao Ecozone in Albay and the Palawan Mega Ecozone in Puerto Princesa. Positioned as future investment hubs, these greenfield areas are expected to catalyze new opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, technology, and other high-growth sectors.

Meralco currently supplies electricity to 244 of the 433 ecozones nationwide, including major industrial centers such as the Cavite Economic Zone and the First Philippine Industrial Park in Batangas—both vital to the country’s export and manufacturing ecosystem.

The agreement was signed by Meralco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V. Pangilinan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Ronnie L. Aperocho, and Senior Vice President and Chief External and Government Affairs Officer Arnel D. Casanova. Representing PEZA were Director General Tereso O. Panga and Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning Anidelle Joy M. Alguso.

Under the partnership, PEZA will identify priority ecozones for development and facilitate access and permits, while Meralco will deliver innovative, efficient, and reliable energy solutions tailored to the needs of these emerging economic corridors. The joint initiative aims to ensure that future locators benefit from stable, affordable, and world-class power—an essential foundation for competitiveness and sustainable growth.

“This partnership is a significant step toward building greenfield ecozones that will serve as engines of growth for our country. These projects, developed from the ground up, demand modern and reliable infrastructure, with power distribution systems at their core,” Aperocho said.

As a steadfast partner in nation-building, Meralco continues to invest in advanced energy technologies and infrastructure enhancements to strengthen the Philippines’ position as a leading investment destination in the region.

“By combining PEZA’s commitment to creating globally competitive investment destinations with Meralco’s expertise in delivering world-class utility services, we will ensure that dependable power becomes the backbone of sustainable development,” Aperocho added.

“We see opportunities for Australian businesses to invest in the Philippines’ priority sectors such as critical minerals, renewable energy, education and training, and agriculture,” said Secretary Pascual as he urged Australian counterparts and its business community to explore mutually beneficial economic partnerships with the Philippines.

In his remarks, Secretary Pascual touted the Philippines as one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia, recording a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5.6 percent in 2023. This growth surpassed many major East and Southeast Asian economies and showcased the country’s robust economic performance.

Notably, the bilateral trade between the Philippines and Australia surpassed the pre-pandemic levels, reaching USD 4.1 billion in 2023. To further enhance trade and investment relations, the Philippines has recently signed essential policy instruments, such as the Second Protocol of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

Beyond the equal gains from the two-way trade, Pascual underscored the mutual benefits of bilateral investment flows, with over 300 Australian companies employing 40,000 Filipino workers in various sectors. He identified potential collaboration in priority sectors aligned with Australia’s Southeast Asia Economy Strategy 2024, which promotes the transition to a greener economy and achieving a low-carbon future.

The DTI secretary received strong backing from government officials in presenting a compelling case for Australian investment in the Philippines.

Department of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto emphasized the Philippines’ promising economic outlook. He showcased the Philippines’ robust fiscal performance and commitment to long-term fiscal health through the Medium-Term Fiscal Framework. This framework aims to reduce the fiscal deficit, promote fiscal sustainability, and enable robust economic growth.

Meanwhile, Department of Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla focused on attracting foreign investment in the energy sector. He outlined specific incentives for Australian investors, including eased foreign ownership restrictions for various renewable energy projects and increased investment in clean energy sources like offshore wind.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga emphasized the Philippines’ attractive investment climate due to its skilled workforce, abundant natural resources, favorable trade agreements, stable economy, and strategic location.

Key executives from the Philippine Nickel Industry Association, Victoria International Container Terminal, and Ayala-led ACEN Corporation also presented their keenness to capitalize on the growing economic collaboration between the Philippines and Australia during the first part of the forum’s program.

These concerted discussions amplified DTI’s efforts to highlight the country’s economic strength, fiscal responsibility, and commitment to sustainable growth.

“With our shared and unwavering commitment to firmly pursue a more dynamic, open, and sustained partnership, we are poised to reap the benefits of a robust Philippines-Australia relationship,” said Pascual.

The Philippine Business Forum fosters new connections and networking opportunities for the Philippine delegation in key sectors within the Australian market. It also builds on the success of the Philippines-Australia Ministerial Meeting (PAMM) in October 2023 with Australia’s Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell, which involved a roundtable meeting with the members of the Australia-Philippines Business Council.

Signed by IPOPHL Director General Rowel. S. Barba and PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga in December 2023, the MOU establishes a biennial work plan to promote IP protection to current and potential investors in the SEZ. 

“By underlining the importance of protecting and enforcing IP rights in these areas, current and potential companies and investors can do business in the Philippines knowing their IP assets are in safe hands,” IPOPHL Barba said.

Along with the work plan, the two parties are set to mainstream IP into PEZA’s developmental goals by conducting knowledge orientation and skills training to its officials and staff. 

Meanwhile, Panga has expressed PEZA’s enthusiasm to form the work plan with the help of existing investors and locators in SEZs.

“[This MOU] can simplify our procedures to make it easy for our locators — those particularly applying for patents and trademarks. From our end, we would also look into inputs from our investors,” said Panga, underlining the priority to promote IP among PEZA stakeholders.

For the first half of 2023, PEZA reported P25.9 billion in exports, 1.8 million direct jobs and 102 new or expansion projects.

As of September 2023, PEZA has established 422 ecozones across the country, which are home to 4,372 locator companies. 

Meanwhile, the Philippines remains an attractive investment destination to neighboring countries since its exclusion from the European Commission’s IP watchlist in 2020 and the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Report in 2013.

“We want to boost the confidence of foreign direct investors where PEZA is a key player. As such, our goal here is to assure investors that the Philippines is a suitable and secure destination with a strong IP system where investments are protected,” Barba said. 

“We remain committed in our overarching goal of spurring countryside development through the creation of more ecozones seen to facilitate growth and development of our regions and attract new and strategic investments in the country,” expressed Panga.

New proclaimed ecozones

On 25 July 2023, the Office of the President released Proclamation Nos. 299, 300, and 303 which approves the creation of three (3) economic zones in Naga City, Bacolod City, and Dumaguete City.

Proclamation No. 299 designated several parcels of land in Barangay Carolina, Naga City to be known as Naga City Industrial Park while Proclamation Nos. 300 and 303 designated buildings as IT Centers in Barangay Mandalangan, Bacolod City to be known as Lopue’s Mandalangan IT Center and in Barangay Piapi, Dumaguete City to be known as Marina Town Dumaguete.

The Marcos Administration also approved last April two (2) new economic zones in Batangas Province and Bacolod City. These ecozones are expected to bring in about Php 1.641 billion investments.

Panga expressed, “We remain on track with our goal of establishing at least thirty ecozones every year that create centers of economic progress outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to spur countryside development.”

To date, there are a total of six (6) PEZA ecozones pending for proclamation by the President. These ecozones will be developed in Parañaque City (IT Center), Pasig City (IT Center), Tanza, Cavite (Manufacturing), Ilocos Sur (Manufacturing), and Sarangani Province (Agro-industrial).

July Board Approvals

In addition to this, the PEZA Board approved last July 31 a total of Php 16.578 Billion investments coming from 15 new and expansion projects and is expected to generate US$ 419.5 Million in exports and create 2,983 jobs.

This brings PEZA’s total for the year to Php 97.163 Billion, a 332.05% increase from the Php 22.489 Billion investments approved in the same period in 2022.

“We are more than encouraged to promote the Philippines to global investors, taking the cue from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that the best time to invest in the country is now and that we are the best investment destination in the region. Among the bright prospects for the Philippines and the ecozones include our 6-7% GDP growth target, our ascension to RCEP and other FTAs, the 5-15% annual growth target by the industries, Marcos administration’s efforts to increase our credit rating, and our aggressive investment promotions,” stated the PEZA Chief.

He added, “With this, we are strengthening our initiatives to make the Philippines as an enviable investment destination and contribute to the overall goal of the country to graduate to upper middle-income economy by 2025.”

The signing took place at the PEZA Head Office, Double Dragon West Tower, Pasay City with Mr. Bong Fajardo Jr., Business Development Manager, NetGlobal Solutions Inc. and Atty. Jenny June G. Romero, PEZA OIC Deputy Director General for Finance and Administration standing as witnesses.

The signed MOA aims to strengthen the ease of doing business (EODB) in the economic zones as mandated in Republic Act No. 11032 or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Services Delivery Act of 2018” which directs all offices and agencies to improve transactions systems and procedures to streamline the delivery of government services.

With this partnership, PEZA and NGSI will capacitate PEZA’s registered business enterprises (RBEs), particularly, the exporters, to increase their online presence and utilize digital platforms increasing the market presence of Philippine goods and services globally. The subscribed users of the digital marketplace will also benefit from access to global suppliers of machinery and equipment, raw materials, supplies, emerging technologies and solutions, thereby improving the sourcing and procurement by ecozone RBEs.

Under the agreement, NGSI will provide the development, operation, and the maintenance of the PEZA Directory, PEZA Build-a-site, and PEZA Digital Marketplace Platform (DMP). The database development for this PEZA digital marketplace will likewise cover the local producers and suppliers of goods/services to provide support to our ecozone locators. As such, this key measure to enhance the ecozone forward and backward linkages will accelerate the integration of our Filipino MSMEs into the ecozone value chain.

Meanwhile, PEZA will be responsible in providing the necessary and requested documentation, information, and knowledge capital to NGSI, engage and integrate NGSI’s system and other related services to support and augment its services, and encourage registered RBEs to subscribe in the PEZA DMP to name a few.

The PEZA Digital Marketplace is a pioneer and a legacy project spearheaded by Director General Panga. According to him, “The PEZA Digital Marketplace completes the local supply and global value chain for the Philippine economic development. This will also increase our competitiveness to attract more investors to set up off-shore facilities and operations in the Philippines, particularly, in our ecozones.”

The PEZA Digital Marketplace grand launching is slated to happen in September 2023, which will then be followed by a series of roadshows with PEZA clusters nationwide.

“We remain optimistic that we will sustain our positive growth trajectory for the 2nd half of the year, given the notable increase in our KPIs on investments, jobs and exports from a more aggressive whole-of-government approach in investment promotion,” noted PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga. 

Monthly PEZA investment approval from January to June 2023 v 2022 

PBBM First Year 

He added, “For the first year of PFRM administration (July 2022- June 2023), PEZA has by far generated investments of PhP 198.796 Billion worth of investments from 206 projects, actual direct jobs of 1,805,770 (cumulative), and actual direct exports of US$ 58.494 Billion.” 

PEZA Comparative Performance: Jul 2021-Jun 2022 (PRRD Administration) vs. Jul 2022-Jun 2023 (PBBM Administration) 

Among the 206 projects, 11 big-ticket projects with minimum PhP 1 Billion capital investment have also been approved/registered by PEZA during this time. These big-ticket projects with total capital investments of Php 154.966 Billion came from the following sectors: ecozone development (PhP 119.259 Billion), export manufacturing (PhP 33.946 Billion), and ecozone facilities (PhP 1.761 Billion). 

Panga noted, “We continue to contribute to the overall positive performance of the administration and serve as a tool to constantly attract investments in the country and promote the Philippines as an investment haven in Asia.” 

PEZA Initiatives 

With this, PEZA is ramping up its investment promotion and facilitation initiatives to bring in much-needed FDIs to the country. This is ahead of the anticipated influx of investors to the country as PEZA conducts follow-through on the outbound missions done by the President. 

“This June, PEZA welcomed several French, Czech, and Dongguan delegations to the Philippines and facilitated the learning visit and study tour of the Ugandan and Papua New Guinean delegation. PEZA likewise received delegations from China, Taiwan, and Japan in the first semester of the year,” stated the PEZA Chief. 

List of PEZA outbound and inbound missions during the January to June 2023 period 

In addition to this, PEZA is collaborating with various government agencies such Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the promotion of industrial peace in the ecozones; and the Bureau of Corrections, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Privatization Management Office for utilization of public lands for ecozone development. 

Some of the collaborations PEZA entered into to strengthen its investment attraction and facilitation initiatives 

“With the inclusion of the ecozone development program in the country’s medium-term plan (2023- 2028), we aim to develop more ecozones in rural and new growth areas and introduce new frontiers catering to emerging and niche industries,” explained the PEZA Chief.  

To complement this, PEZA is implementing its several automation initiatives pursuant to the call of the President to enhance the ease of doing business in the Philippines.  

Panga noted, “We have partnered with the DICT to fast track the implementation of our digitalization and to align with the automation efforts of the whole government. We are strengthening our one-stop-shop services to cater to our agile locators and the changing investment landscape globally.” 

“For our part, we shall continue to perform our mandate to contribute to the overall growth of the nation. In keeping with the EO 18 directive of the President, we will implement a whole-of-government approach as we aim promote the Philippines as the enviable investment destination in the region,” he stated.

PEZA Director General TeresoPanga delivers his 1st SOPA on Monday, April 03, 2023, to its fellow PEZAns.

HOME GROWN, A NEW BEGINNING

For the first time in its history, PEZA will be led by a home grown civil servant, a Director General from among its ranks. His Excellency, President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos (PBBM), Jr. chose and appointed Tereso O. Panga, a 25-year veteran of PEZA to steward and steer the Agency towards the goal of increasing foreign investments across the nation.

Panga or T.O.P, as he is known in PEZA was the Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning and concurrently the designated OIC before being appointed by the President to the top PEZA post. He is well known and acknowledged by industry leaders and stakeholders for his professionalism and thorough knowledge and insight of the industries that PEZA serves.

On his assumption as the new PEZA Director General, Panga credits first, the professionalism of his PEZA colleagues throughout the years:“There were some storms along the way but I am truly humbled to be in the company of people who have inspired and helped shape my thinking, and who have helped me realize the potential of PEZA to truly make a difference in nation-building.”

A team player, Panga says he looks forward to closely working on the strategic priorities with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary and PEZA Board Chairman Alfredo E. Pascual in promoting the country as one of top “smart” investment destinations in Southeast Asia.

Panga thanked the Secretary for his full support while being the OIC of PEZA. “We will create a seamless relationship that will be to the benefit of locators and forge onward towards a new and stronger synergy between the DTI and PEZA. After all, we are partners in accelerating the economic growth of the country and making sure that the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 – 2028 of the President succeeds!”

A FOCUS ON THE YOUTH AND GENERATING JOBS THROUGH INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS

Under his watch, Panga says he will focus on job creation and job security as one of the social responsibility pillars of PEZA. Foreign investments and locators should have an immediate impact on Filipino lives in the areas where they are located. Historically, the economic zones have been a hub for job creation in the regions and these were even sustained during the pandemic.

“I am a firm believer in the great Filipino workers!” says Panga.

According to him, “The creation of jobs locally opens many opportunities for the LGUs and its communities like higher revenues for the LGUs and skills training for the youth and new graduates in the community. PEZA will be committed to actively pursue these as part of its efforts in nation building.”

PEZA will enter into partnerships with its locators and industry associations such as the IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) who have focused on creating secured jobs that ultimately spur economic growth. Panga says that together, “We can achieve IBPAP’s admirable goal of hiring 1 million of our kababayans by 2028.”

Moreover, the Director General said, “PEZA is working closely with SEIPI in preparing human capital readiness for advanced manufacturing and industry4.0 and with PHILEA in developing world-class and environment-friendly friendly economic zones in rural and new growth areas to spur countryside development.”

In remembering the early days of PEZA, Panga recalled that many of its employees were young, idealistic and full of integrity. The combination of experienced professional leaders, economic managers and enthusiastic young graduates propelled PEZA from a start-up Bureau to what it is today, an Agency that directly contributes to national economic progress.

There will be a new management culture in PEZA. One that focuses on a culture of transformational leadership that is sensitive to both the needs of PEZA employees and its stakeholders as new foreign investments are welcomed.

Panga noted, “Integrity and excellence will be the hallmark of PEZA’s service. There will be no red tape, only red-carpet service for our investors and stakeholders!”

TOP PRIORITIES

The new PEZA Chief outlined the following priorities that the Agency is committed to pursue:

1. Accelerate the ecozone transformation roadmap by creating new types of special economic zones registrable under PEZA to include new modes incorporating townships, such as the Agro-Forestry Ecozone; Aquamarine Park; Defense Industrial Complex; Halal Hubs, Knowledge, Innovation Science and Technology (KIST), Renewable Energy Ecozone, and Pharma Park among others.
2. Leverage on our leading export sectors such as BPO, semiconductor and electronics, and health services. PEZA will be aggressive in attracting investors that will bolster science-based industries link to the Global Value Chain. This will ensure that the Philippines remains at the forefront of being a relevant investment destination.
3. Attract and target high-tech industries that will provide for ecozone product sophistication, export diversification, labor-intensive and high-skilled jobs, knowledge transfer, enhanced local supply chain, and creation of industry clusters.
4. 29 new ecozones have been approved by PEZA in the first quarter of 2023 and more will be established nationally as part of the Philippine Development Plan.
5. PEZA aims to surpass our last year’s investment achievement of PhP 140.7 billion. The goals are to achieve a 10% target growth this 2023, including our 9% growth TARGET for exports and 8% target for national jobs creation.
6. To stay at the leading edge of competition, PEZA will improve its regulatory framework by removing unnecessary and outdated requirements for ease of doing business. Further, PEZA is adapting various interventions to enhance the ease of doing business and lower the cost of doing business within the PEZA ecozones pursuant to digitization initiative of the government.

WORKING WITH CONGRESS

PEZA will closely work with Congress to further innovate the Agency and its services. Panga noted that investors “pain-points” need to be addressed such as the cost of high electricity and investors operating costs as compared to locating in other countries. “We need to be competitive, relevant and top-of-mind among potential foreign investors as the smart and preferred destination.”

The challenges will be addressed and overcome through the following steps and actions Panga is determined to take:

Address pressing industry items such as restoration of the VAT system which has been partially addressed with ELSEs.

Plugging of smuggling activities in the ecozones by strengthening our monitoring and police functions through our PEZA police and upgrading digital applications to fully account for tax and duty-free ecozone shipments and thus, prevent their leakage in the domestic territory.

Request for the revisit of the CREATE Act and the amendment of the 28-year-old PEZA Law to better adapt to the changes in the market and the current movement of the country’s investment and business climate.

PEZA will also closely work with other members of the House and Senate to successfully insure that the challenges are resolved in order to create a conducive investor friendly business climate and environment that will provide an edge for the Philippines.

“It is worthy to note that investor interest in our country has jumped 54% with the president’s active promotion in recent months”, Panga said.

A SERVANT-LEADERSHIP BUILT ON INTEGRITY

In his first address during the PEZA assembly, Director General Panga encouraged PEZA employees to embrace a culture of service built on integrity. “I demand integrity. Imbibing this to our core with no- red tape, only red-carpet treatment to our stakeholders, and sustaining our brand of service, we can achieve new heights in our performance.”

Further, he promised that “PEZA will continue to look after the welfare of everyone in the organization including beefing up the manpower complement and enhancing job productivity and career growth through proper human resources(HR) interventions.”

He, however, warned against engaging in corruption, as any whiff of this will in turn merit disciplinary measures which include dismissal from the service.

With this, the new Director General has sought MANCOM’s approval for the inclusion of new core values in the Agency: Transformational leadership and social responsibility. The same are needed especially since PEZA is promoting sustainable ecozone development. With PEZAns being innovative in shaping the future success of the organization and the ecozones, it is in the same manner that when the Agency invites investors to locate, they must also be good corporate citizens.

Panga, ending on a high note, encouraged his fellow PEZAns to work together and collectively endeavor to create more ecozones to spur countryside development and generate more investments, jobs, exports and other economic opportunities for the country.

“We cannot preach what we cannot practice.”, DG Panga reminded PEZAns during the assembly.

“Together, we continue to contribute to the competitiveness of the country as the smart investment destination in the region! The best is yet to come for PEZA, our investors, and for our country! We are ready!” Panga encouragingly said.

In coordination with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Taipei, Taiwan, under Director for Commercial Affairs Anthony B. Rivera and Investment Officer Terry Lin, PEZA recently hosted an investment briefing at PEZA Head Office to eight (8) manufacturing and two (2) logistic Taiwanese companies as part of their six-day inbound mission from Taiwan to the Philippines.

During the investment briefing, PEZA OIC Director General Tereso O. Panga said, “The Taiwanese delegations being here in the Philippines gives us signal already that they are considering our country to be their next investment destination in the region.”

According to Panga, “These delegations from Taiwan are eyeing to register their export and domestic market-oriented projects under the PEZA and BOI. Prospective Taiwanese investors are into manufacturing of consumer electronics, car brake pads, screws and other steel products, centrifugal fans, hardware materials, paper and packaging products.” 

The inbound mission is a follow-through activity to the Philippine-Taiwan 28th Joint Economic Conference and Philippine Investment Forum held in Taipei last October 2022. 

More Taiwanese investors in ecozones 

OIC Chief Panga reported, “Currently, there are 109 Taiwanese locator companies registered with PEZA, generating a total of Php 33.165 billion investments, US$ 765.249 export revenues and 38,749 direct jobs.” “PEZA’s top Taiwanese ecozone investors are Sunon Properties Philippines Corp., Tong Hsing Electronics Phils. Inc., Kinpo Electronics (Philippines), Inc., Acbel Polytech Philippines, Inc., Bojie Development Corporation, Phil Bright Corporation, Shang Mei Philippines Corporation, Taihanland (Philippines) Inc., Bioteque Medical Phil. Inc., and Everbrilliant Manufacturing Company Inc.,” Panga added.

In his report, these enterprises are into real estate activities, manufacturing of various products including radio, television and communication equipment and epparatus and medical, precision and optical Instruments, watches and clocks among others, and various services. 

The OIC Director General shared that, “PEZA is aiming to attract more investments in hightechnology industries as Taiwan’s economy is driven by a competitive manufacturing sector in the fields of electronics, machinery, petrochemicals, energy, and information and communications technology (ICT) products.” 

Seconded by PTIC-Taiwan Director for Commercial Affairs Anthony B. Rivera, he said, “We hope to invite more investors from Taiwan as part of our drive to encourage science, technology, and innovation driven manufacturing into the country.” 

On the other hand, during the four-day outbound investment mission in Taiwan last October 2022 which was in coordination with PTIC-Taiwan, BOI, Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), and the Taiwanese Chamber, PEZA recorded seven (7) investment pledges amounting to USD 65 million. 

As part of the Taiwanese inbound mission to the Philippines, PEZA hosted an economic zone site tour to Taiwanese delegations last March 7 and on March 10. Ecozones visited were LIMA Technology Center, First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP), and Light Industry & Science Park (LISP) IV in Batangas and Filinvest Technology Park located in Laguna. For March 10, the delegations will visit Hermosa Industrial Park, Bataan and TECO Industrial Park, Pampanga.

Mindful of the changes in the workplace such as hybrid or face-to-face amidst opening of the economy, the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines hosted a webinar titled, “Deciphering PEZA’s Guidelines for the WFH Arrangement” via Zoom. 

Aside from British Chamber’s Executive Director and Trustee Chris Nelson who moderated the virtual event, Chairman William Bailey is also one of the attendees. 

The event discussed the recent changes such as fiscal incentives, and the requirements and procedures registration guidelines with PEZA for endorsement with BOI for Registered Business Enterprises (RBE’s) in the ITBPM sector. Keynote speakers are PEZA’s representative — Atty. Ross Vincent S. Sy, the Group Manager of the Enterprise Regulation and Support Services Group (ERSSG), and Atty. Elyjean DC Portoza, Director of the Legal and Compliance Service (LCS) of the Board of Investments (BOI) joined the panel discussion.

Applications are ongoing until 16 December 2022. Likewise, the specific date indicated on the official receipt stated by BOI should be the date of effectivity of RBE’s registration with BOI. 

As mentioned by Atty. Sy, so far, the total number of submitted RBEs by the company was around 1,210; while those that have applied for BOI registration were around 78 RBEs. If applications are not filed, these RBEs will report onsite by January 2023.

“It’s very pertinent now that we’ve been coming [from] the pandemic and obviously people looking at work arrangements,” Chris Nelson said. 

The British Chamber continues to exchange business dialogues with government entities. There are also two pending events next week, such as the European Philippine Business Dialogue” on 14th November 2022 (Monday) and the 6th Property Matters on 16th November 2022 (Wednesday).