The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) closed out the first eight months of 2026 with total approved investments of P216.46 billion, successfully securing 72.16 percent of its P300 billion annual investment target for 2026.

During the August 20 board meeting chaired by Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, the PEZA Board approved 22 new and expansion projects worth P64.565 billion—334.13 percent up from the P14.872 billion approved in August 2025.

''Reaching more than 72 percent of PEZA’s annual target in only eight months shows that investor confidence in the Philippines is translating into real commitments. Our job now is to move these projects forward quickly and ensure their benefits reach more Filipino workers and communities,” Roque said.

For his part, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said, “These results are a clear vote of confidence in the Philippines’ capacity to compete for high-value investments. With P216.46 Billion already approved, we are building stronger production and export capabilities, creating more jobs, and deepening our integration into global value chains. We will sustain this momentum and continue turning investor confidence into tangible economic opportunities for Filipinos.”

From January to August, the PEZA board approved 196 new and expansion projects, up 9.5 percent from 179 projects in the same period last year. These projects recorded total approved investments worth P216.466 billion, a 104.53 percent increase from P 105.834 billion in 2025.

The approved projects are projected to generate $6.604 billion in exports and create 26,994 direct jobs nationwide.

Manufacturing continued to lead PEZA’s investment portfolio accounting for 80 of the 196 approved projects from January to August .

This was followed by 31 ecozone development projects, 30 IT-BPM, 19 for facilities, 15 for logistics, 15 export-oriented projects for domestic market, four tourism, and two utilities, reflecting the diverse range of industries expanding and establishing operations within Philippine economic zones.

Geographically, 161 of these projects are to be located in Luzon, 23 will be created in the Visayas, and 12 in Mindanao, supporting PEZA's push for more balanced regional development while reinforcing established industrial corridors.

Investor confidence likewise remained broad-based, with the Philippines emerging as the top investment source, followed by the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. Thirty-four projects were classified as big-ticket investments worth a combined P 193.713 billion, reflecting sustained investor confidence in large-scale, long-term operations in the country.

Among these, nine big-ticket projects worth P62.05 billion were greenlighted in August. These include two facilities enterprises with combined investments worth P35.39 billion to be located in Tarlac; two EMS-SMS projects with combined investments worth over P3 billion to be created in Laguna; and a billion-peso export-oriented enterprise to venture into domestic market to be located in Tarlac.

Meanwhile, four ecozone development projects with combined investments worth P 22.39 billion will soon rise in Cavite, Bataan, Davao del Sur, and Cebu.

In addition, ecozone reports for the first half of the year recorded actual exports of $32.89 billion, 2.35 percent higher compared to the same period last year, with actual direct employment totaling to 1.82 million or 1.56 percent higher than that in the first half of 2025.

With more than seventy percent of its annual investment target already secured, PEZA remains optimistic that the remaining four months of 2026 will see continued conversion of investment leads into concrete projects that expand the country's production capacity, exports, and employment. Department of Finance