Investment pledges in the country’s economic zones (ecozones) approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) have surged to more than ₱150 billion from January to September as investors continue to affirm their confidence in the country’s business landscape.

The PEZA said on Tuesday, Sept. 30, that it cleared ₱154.70 billion in investments in the first nine months, nearly 34 percent higher than the ₱115.89 billion in the same period in 2024.

These pledges, which will materialize into actual investments, cover 215 new and expansion projects. This is up 20 percent from 179 projects last year.

The projects are seen to create 50,430 direct jobs, up 41 percent compared to the same nine-month period.

The approved projects are expected to generate as much as $4.49 billion, a 79 percent improvement from last year’s $2.51 billion.

The bulk of these projects, specifically 178, are expected to be built in Luzon. Visayas follows suit with 29 projects, while Mindanao lags behind with only eight.

These investments span manufacturing, information technology and business process management (IT-BPM), domestic, facilities, ecozone development, logistics, and utilities.

Of this, the manufacturing sector saw the highest number of investment pledges, with 98 projects approved by the PEZA. The sector saw notable gains in electronics, food processing, automotive and auto parts.

Japan has overtaken the Cayman Islands as the number one country in terms of investment source, standing at ₱14.78 billion, while the Caribbean territory ranked second with ₱13.14 billion. This was followed by South Korea (₱10.77 billion), China (₱6.32 billion), and the United States (₱6.11 billion).

The PEZA stated that Japanese investments account for just under 10 percent of the investment promotion agency’s total approved investments, amounting to ₱154.70 billion.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said Japan’s return as the top investment partner reflects the success of recent investment missions to the East Asian country.

“With nearly 10 percent of this year’s total project approvals coming from Japanese companies, we see undeniable proof of the Philippines’ standing as a trusted and highly competitive hub in Asia,” said Panga.

According to the PEZA, the top Japanese project as of September is the ₱9.1-billion food processing facility within the Tari Estate of Abotiz InfraCapital Economic Estates in Tarlac City.

The facility, which will produce food products and processed foods, will cater to both domestic and export markets.

For September alone, the PEZA approved 36 new and expansion projects valued at ₱48.87 billion, down 10 percent from ₱54.19 billion in the same month last year.

A total of eight big-ticket projects were cleared in the month, amounting to ₱44.81 billion.

Despite the slight dip in September, Panga said the agency’s renewed focus on regional engagements will help unlock fresh investments in the fourth quarter.

To date, the PEZA has achieved 62 percent of its ₱250 billion target for the year.

“Given the robust interest and caliber of projects underway, we are not merely on track to meet our goal, we are positioned to deliver even bigger economic wins for the country and our people as we achieve our 2025 investment targets,” said Panga.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, who chairs the PEZA board, said the approved investment pledges of the agency form part of the government’s push to sustain the strong investment momentum this year.

“These investments reinforce our position as a premier hub in Asia and affirm that the Philippines is fast becoming the destination of choice for global industries,” said Roque.