Foreign locators keen on new Palawan ecozone

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November 28, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group and two other foreign firms have expressed interest in setting up operations in the Palawan Mega Economic Zone (PMEZ).

In a statement, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said that prospective investors have reached out to the agency for PMEZ, which will be developed as a mega-scale government-led eco-industrial township.

“There is much interest in the PMEZ and when we will have it operationalized. I have already received queries on this and interests to invest as developers and locators,” PEZA director general Tereso Panga said.

Firms that have expressed interest to locate in the PMEZ include the CP Group, which is engaged in agriculture, food, retail, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, finance and banking.

Other firms that are looking to establish facilities in PMEZ include a Taiwanese aqua farm operator, a Peruvian company known for its global Stevia brand, a local exporter of coconut-based products, as well as a power generation company.

Last Nov. 20, Panga and Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. signed a joint memorandum circular for the formal transfer of around 4,000 hectares of the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm for ecozone development.

The 4,000-hectare area is a key component of PEZA’s broader development of the 28,000-hectare PMEZ.

Through the PMEZ, PEZA aims to strengthen domestic production, deepen inter-sectoral linkages and create quality jobs for local communities.

PMEZ is projected to generate 480,000 direct jobs in the region.

“This partnership shows the heart of a modern BuCor, no longer solely defined by walls and fences, but what we can contribute to the nation,” Catapang said.

For his part, Panga expressed confidence in PMEZ’s potential to serve as a new gateway for investments in the country.

“I firmly believe that PMEZ will become a magnet for new investments housing locators with complete supply chains and linking this to our broader regional commitments, particularly the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA this 2025,” he said.

PEZA is pushing for the development of more ecozones in the country to encourage investments and support economic growth.