On March 27, PEZA DG Lilia De Lima presented at the Euromoney Conference Workshop at the Manila Peninsula. In her presentation “Creating the Next Business Hub for Manufacturers,” DG De Lima reported that as of February 29, 2012, PEZA administers a total of 257 economic zones comprised of:
- Manufacturing (64 zones);
- IT Parks and Centers (164 zones);
- Tourism Ecozones (12 zones);
- Medical Tourism Park/ Center (2 zones); and
- Agro-Industrial Parks (15 zones).
From 1995-2011, PEZA investments reached PhP 1.995 Trillion. The highest investments are from the Japanese with 33.58%, while the highest investments by product sector are the Electronics/Semiconductors with 42.52%.
As of 2011, ecozone direct employment reached 840,945. PEZA’s business-friendly policies such as 100% foreign ownership of companies, strategic location, and fiscal and non-fiscal incentives has attracted export companies to invest in the Philippines.
DG De Lima also discussed the January 2012 JETRO study on how the Philippines has a competitive advantage with other ASEAN countries in terms of: moderate cost, sufficient labor supply, and reasonable salary.
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