PEZA welcomes lifting of moratorium on NCR economic zones

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) expects to register more IT and business process management (IT-BPM) companies with the 10-day window given by the Office of the President (OP) after signing Administrative Order No. 11 which lifted the moratorium imposed on IT-BPM expansion in Metro Manila under AO No. 18.

“We laud the OP's issuance of AO No. 11, which amends AO No.18 that declared a moratorium in 2019 on the proclamation of economic zones in the National Capital Region. AO No.11 now allows the PEZA processing and evaluation of applications for the establishment particularly of IT Parks/Centers in Metro Manila subject to certain conditions,” said PEZA director-general Theo Panga.

He said the amended policy has sustained PEZA's arguments on the need to respect the rights of IT center developer applications as prequalified by the PEZA Board  prior to effectivity of AO 18, and to facilitate employment generation by new and expanding IT locator investors with the proclamation of these new buildings.

“This will be a big boost in sustaining the growth of the robust IT sector in the country,” Panga said.

PEZA is currently finalizing the list of IT development projects that seeks to locate and/or expand their operations in Metro Manila. All the investments that will considered in the final list were approved prior to the enactment of AO No. 18.

PEZA said AO No. 11 will also give a chance to the other local government units in Metro Manila, outside of the 5 major central business districts in Makati City, BGC in Taguig, Alabang in Muntinlupa, Quezon City and Pasig City,  with prequalified IT developer applications,  to host IT investments and to be part of the PEZA economic zone value chain.

Panga said AO No. 11 complements the objectives of AO No. 18 “with its directive to PEZA in not accepting new applications for IT  Parks/Centers in Metro Manila moving forward with this new policy. “

The policy is consistent as well with the goals of the Philippine Medium Term Development Plan (PMTDP) 2023-2028 and the ecozone program in driving development away from Metro Manila and the metropolis in favor of rural and new growth areas.

“We welcome this OP directive as it supports our countryside development strategy and the IBPAP's push for the next wave of cities and municipalities to host the new PEZA IT parks for a more effective industry dispersion. Under the enhanced CREATE More regime, we hope to attract more ecozone developer and locator investments that will generate the much needed jobs and growth in all the regions,” Panga said.