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Locators, industry partners, foreign chambers back PEZA as new administration begins in July

Pasay City – The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Director General Charito ‘Ching’ Plaza has expressed gratitude to its locator companies, industry partners, and foreign chambers following their messages of support to the Authority amidst challenges. 

“We are overwhelmed but overall thankful for the constant support of our locator companies, industry partners, and foreign chambers amidst the present challenges we are facing,” said PEZA Director General Charito Plaza. 

The PEZA Chief assured, “We will continue to reciprocate their trust and confidence with our good performance and plans and programs especially with the beginning of a new administration under President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 2022” 

Partners laud PEZA 

Industry associations and foreign chambers such as the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines (CONWEP), and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FFCCCII) lauded PEZA for its efforts and contributions in attracting investors to the country especially with the recent allegations on investment monitoring. 

PEZA has been alleged as remiss in complying to reportorial and investment monitoring under CREATE law according to a recent tirades coming from Department of Finance Assistant Secretary Juvy Danofrata, who is the FIRB Secretariat Head. 

“It’s unfortunate that PEZA has been singled out as “not doing its job.” Our own industry experience says otherwise. PEZA has advocated for the best interests of our industry even during difficult times such as the pandemic. Moreover, the one-stop shop performance and 24×7 operations of PEZA have been attractive to our foreign investors and locators. We would like to work with the new administration to promote EODB, minimize the bureaucracy and optimize the effectiveness of PEZA (and other IPA’s),” said SEIPI President Dr. Dan Lachica. 

IBPAP President Jack Madrid noted that, “While a strong private sector foundation helped pave the way for the industry to flourish, PEZA and its establishment of hundreds of special economic zones catering to IT-BPM locators facilitated the industry’s solid growth and expansion in the country. Together, PEZA and IBPAP worked in bringing in clients and investors, driving countryside development, and improving ease of doing business.” 

Further, CONWEP Executive Director Maritess Agoncillo seconded that, “PEZA’s regulatory transparency, no red-tape policy and one-stop shop services have greatly contributed to the growth and development of the Wearables industry and is recognized by our Filipino and foreign investors as a huge factor in keeping our investors’ trust and confidence in doing business in the country.” 

The FFCCCII President Henry Lim Bon Liong also mentioned that “PEZA’s exemplary performance in upholding a strong middle balance among public safety, health protocol and business continuity measures over all damages and threats of the COVID-19 pandemic for two years now reaps reputation of being a model crisis-oriented and disaster-resilient network of SEZs in the ASEAN community.”  

Meanwhile, locator companies TI Philippines Inc. and AMKOR Technology Philippines, Inc. also backed PEZA for its performance through the years and efforts in making the country an investment haven. 

TI Philippines Inc. Government Relations and Public Affairs Officer Ralph Reuben Morales testified that “The 40 years of operations of Texas Instruments in the Philippines is already more than enough manifestation of how we greatly appreciate and value the services of PEZA.” 

“If I have my way, I’d say that we have to expand PEZA and even convert the whole country into a PEZA zone to improve the competitiveness of this country and provide more jobs for our people,” noted AMKOR Technology Philippines President Norberto Viera. 

In response to these, Plaza urged other government agencies to unite in implementing a whole-of-government approach for the revival of our economy and making the Philippines an investment haven in Asia. 

“We must not rock the boat and create negative signals. Rather, we must strive to keep the trust and confidence of our investors in the Philippines and continue to show good performance despite the pandemic and other challenges. Let us keep the legacy of Duterte administration of having the trust and confidence of investors, and continue this to the new administration under President Marcos,” she said.

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