PASAY CITY — Strengthening its vision of eco-zoning the Philippines towards inclusive and sustainable development, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) continues to spur countryside development through the creation of more ecozones, seen to facilitate the growth and development of our regions and attract new and strategic investments in the country.
PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga said, “As a medium-term strategy under the Philippine Development Plan, the ecozones will play a vital role in attracting the much-needed investments in the country, generating more jobs for Filipinos, and contributing in accelerating the nation’s socio-economic progress.”
For the first half of the year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved 4 ecozones 2 expansions of a manufacturing zone in Batangas, and 2 new IT Parks in Tagbilaran City and Bacolod City.
Aboitiz-led Lima Technology Center Expansions
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. approved the expansion of Lima Technology Center in Batangas and the creation of a new IT Park in Bacolod City.
On 21 May 2025, Proclamation No. 910 was issued by the Office of the President, designating 23.49 hectares of land located in Barangays Bagong Pook and Luta Sur, Malvar, Batangas to be included in the existing Lima Technology Center (LTC).
More than P980 million will be invested in the development of the area, which is expected to be completed by June 2027.
Additionally, another expansion area for LTC was also approved by the Office of the President in March under Proclamation No. 846, adding 19.23 hectares to the ecozone.
These expansions are expected to further amplify Aboitiz InfraCapital’s contributions and better enable PEZA to execute its commitment to sustainable economic progress and national development.
Megaworld’s The Upper East IT Park
Meanwhile, President Marcos Jr. signed Proclamation No. 919 last 02 June 2025 which creates and tagbilarandesignates 33.96 hectares of land in Barangay 41, Bacolod City as an IT Park to be called The Upper East.
The IT Park, to be operated by Megaworld, is projected to attract over PhP 1 billion in investments for the construction of two IT buildings. Five (5) IT-BPO companies are expected to operate in the park, creating over 2,500 local jobs.
The development of this IT park solidifies the position of Bacolod City as an emerging IT-BPM hub in the country and will further create opportunities for innovation and development.
Tagbilaran Uptown IT Hub 2
Apart from these new ecozones, PEZA also formalized the proclamation of Tagbilaran Uptown IT Hub 2 as an IT Park in Bohol with the signing of its registration agreement on May 08.
The President signed Proclamation No. 821 designating three parcels of land in Barangay Dampas, Tagbilaran City with an area of about 11,237 sqm as an IT Park.
Building on the success of the 1.4-hectare Tagbilaran Uptown IT Hub 1, the zone significantly boosted local economic activity and employment. With a projected investment of over P200 million, the expansion aims to generate additional jobs and attract more IT-BPM locators. A prospective locator has already expressed interest in investing upwards of P70 million and hiring over 500 Filipinos.
According to the latest report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the majority of the top 10 local government units (LGUs) outside of Metro Manila, ranked by GDP contribution and foreign investment inflows, are home to economic zones (ecozones), highlighting their role as key drivers of regional economic growth.
PEZA continues to engage with local governments and developers in advancing ecozone development in the country. With PEZA’s pivotal role in facilitating the establishment of these zones, this further solidify the Philippines’ position as a premier investment destination in the region.
“At PEZA, under my watch, we continue to engage with our partner developers like Aboitiz and Megaworld in creating more ecozones that attract investments and drive growth, prosperity, and innovation nationwide. Together, we strengthen our shared commitment to eco-zoning the Philippines toward inclusive and sustainable development para sa Bagong Pilipinas!” said DG Panga.
Under the Marcos Jr. Administration, a total of 32 ecozones have been proclaimed, bringing in P13.406 billion in committed investments. PEZA is also working to establish the Palawan Mega Ecozone, the first of its kind in the country and the Pantao Ecozone, eyed as the fifth public ecozone, both targeted for proclamation within the current administration.
