Japanese firms based in Osaka are planning to establish operations in the areas of manufacturing, food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, electronics, and machinery, according to Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) OIC Director General Tereso O. Panga Panga reported that 15 Japanese companies who joined the delegation from the Osaka Business Partner Cities last Thursday, March 16, are planning to put up businesses in different sectors. These include manufacturing, food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, electronics, and machinery. “We are encouraging more investments coming from Japan especially this time when we, alongside President Bongbong Marcos Jr., are most aggressive in promoting the Philippines to international business community. The Japanese will always be ichi-ban in PEZA and in the country,” stated Panga. Osaka delegates with Presidential Special Envoy to Japan Dr. Regis Romero II, the officials from PEZA headed by OIC Director General Panga, and PTIC Osaka led by Commercial Counsellor Michael Ignacio Coming from the heels of a highly successful official visit by PBBM to Japan, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Osaka, representative office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Western Japan, put together the three-day Osaka-led Business Partner City (BPC) mission for the joint official and business delegation, to hold the annual BPC Conference in the City of Manila, the first time in more than two years that this event is being held physically since the onset of the pandemic. Presidential Special Envoy to Japan Dr. Reghis Romero II highlighted the efforts being done by the government to continue pitching in the country to Japanese investors.  Romero also mentioned of the more than $10 billion worth of investment pledges generated during the President’s visit. “Our President is quite bullish in providing you the business climate and the easy way of doing business in the Philippines. PEZA is part of the government industrial estate (sic) where your incentives—business incentives, tax incentives, and benefits are also consolidated into one to ease up permits and doing business in the Philippines,” noted Dr. Romero. PEZA reported that to date, there are about 887 Japanese companies registered in in PEZA which generated P745.637 billion investments, $17.250 billion exports, and 350,710 direct jobs. Some of the top companies in PEZA include, among others, Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation, Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines), Inc., Ibiden Philippines, Inc., Canon Business Machines (Philippines), Inc., and Tsuneishi Heavy Industries (Cebu), Inc. “With the state visit of PBBM in Tokyo, we are expecting more Japanese business partners and companies to come and invest in the Philippines as part of their long-term business plan,” said Panga. “We have already received more inquiries from interested Japanese companies who will greatly add to the exports of the Philippines.” PEZA is also looking at strengthened collaborations with Osaka especially in engaging its more than 30,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which will encourage local SMEs to be integrated in the ecozone program. “What we want is not just our ecozones to grow but including our SMEs that support the operations of our locator companies. Without which, we cannot provide a better ecosystem for our investors here in the Philippines,” said Panga.