Investment pledges registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) nearly doubled to more than ₱140 billion from January to June compared with a year ago, as the country’s ecozone system continues to attract investors despite uncertainties in global supply chains.

In a statement on Monday, June 29, PEZA said it approved ₱140.69 billion worth of investments in the first half of the year, up 94 percent from the ₱72.36 billion approved in the same period last year.

The registered investments cover 157 new and approved projects, which are expected to generate $3.37 billion in export revenues while creating more than 23,000 direct jobs.

PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said the surge in investment pledges during the six-month period reflects how the Philippines continues to be on the radar of investors, even against the backdrop of trade and economic headwinds.

“As companies reconfigure supply chains and look for competitive locations in the region, PEZA is ready to provide the enabling environment, investor support, and ecozone platform needed to turn these opportunities into real projects, jobs, and exports,” he said.

The bulk of the investment value came from the manufacturing sector, which accounted for 70 projects worth ₱78.2 billion, or around 55 percent of total.

This was followed by 24 ecozone development projects with a combined investment of ₱27.15 billion, four tourism projects worth ₱20.32 billion, and seven domestic market enterprises with an aggregate value of ₱5.78 billion.

Investments approved by PEZA include those from companies in the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, and Japan.

Foreign and local investors register their projects with PEZA to qualify for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, alongside streamlined business processes and other benefits.

“As global companies look for stable and competitive locations, the Philippines stands ready to be their long-term partner for growth,” Panga said.

In June alone, PEZA approved 22 projects with a combined investment of ₱15.85 billion, 163 percent higher than the ₱6.02 billion approved in the same month last year.

The registered projects for the month are projected to generate $401.054 million in exports and create 3,218 direct jobs.

These include three big-ticket ecozone development and information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) projects with combined investments of ₱14.19 billion that will be located in Quezon City as well as City of Santo Tomas and Alitagtag town in Batangas province.

PEZA is banking on the implementation of the government’s latest Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) to attract more high-value and export-oriented investments.

Earlier, Panga told reporters that the investment promotion agency (IPA) aims to leverage the SIPP to encourage the entry of more foreign and local capital into the renewable energy (RE) sector.

Halfway through the year, the IPA is optimistic about reaching its investment target, especially as it continues to welcome high-level inbound delegations from abroad in addition to domestic exploratory missions.

PEZA has set a target of ₱300 billion in investment pledges this year, an increase of 15 percent from last year’s total of ₱260.89 billion.