Peza Investment Approvals Plunge 33% to P35.37 Billion in First Two Months of 2026
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) recorded a sharp 33.18 percent decline in investment approvals during the first two months of 2026, with total pledges reaching P35.37 billion as of February, the agency reported.
Sharp Drop in Investment Value
The significant decline in approved investment value marks a notable setback for the country's economic zone authority, which serves as one of the primary government bodies responsible for attracting and facilitating foreign and domestic investments in the Philippines.
The P35.37 billion figure represents the total value of investment pledges approved by Peza through the end of February 2026, down considerably from the comparable period in the previous year when the agency registered higher approval totals.
More Projects Approved Despite Lower Value
In a notable contrast to the drop in overall investment value, Peza reported that it had actually approved a greater number of individual projects during the January to February 2026 period. This divergence between project volume and total investment value suggests that while more companies sought Peza accreditation, the average size or scale of individual investment commitments was smaller compared to the same period in 2025.
Projected Exports See a Surge
Adding another layer of complexity to the data, Peza also reported that projected exports from its economic zones surged during the same two-month window. This increase in projected export figures points to continued economic activity within existing Peza-registered enterprises, even as the value of new investment pledges declined.
What This Means for the Philippines
Peza plays a critical role in the Philippine economy by administering special economic zones and offering fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to registered businesses. Investment approvals from the agency are closely watched as an indicator of investor confidence in the country and its export-oriented industries, which include electronics manufacturing, information technology, and business process outsourcing.
A sustained decline in investment pledge values, if it continues beyond the first quarter, could raise questions about the pipeline of future economic activity within Peza-administered zones. However, the increase in the number of approved projects and the rise in projected exports may signal that existing locators remain active and that smaller-scale investments continue to flow into Philippine economic zones.
Peza has not yet released a full breakdown of the sectors or nationalities driving the February 2026 figures, and further data covering the rest of the first quarter is expected in the coming weeks.
