The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has approved more than P97 billion worth of solar manufacturing and renewable energy-related projects as it steps up efforts to attract green investments and cut electricity costs in economic zones through embedded power systems.
Speaking at PhilEnergy 2026 on Wednesday, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said the agency has approved 21 renewable energy-related projects with combined investments exceeding P97 billion. The projects are expected to generate more than 1,300 jobs.
“These milestones demonstrate that the Philippines—through our ecozones—has the right combination of policy support, investment incentives and strong public-private partnerships,” Panga said.
Panga said renewable energy remains one of the priority sectors eligible for fiscal incentives under the government’s Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP), which he expects will continue to drive investments in clean energy projects.
He said incentives alone would not be enough to accelerate the country’s energy transition, stressing the need for wider deployment of renewable energy technologies.
As part of that effort, PEZA is working with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), Upgrade Energy Philippines and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) to develop embedded distributed power systems within economic zones.
The systems generate electricity within or near ecozones, reducing dependence on the national transmission grid and helping locators secure more competitive electricity rates.
Panga said the initiative aims to bring Philippine economic zones closer in energy cost competitiveness to other investment destinations in Southeast Asia.
Among the projects in the pipeline are 10-megawatt solar facilities in the Cavite and Baguio economic zones. PNOC is also collaborating with PEZA on renewable energy-powered industrial parks designed for energy-intensive industries.
Separately, PEZA is working with the International Finance Corp. to develop eco-industrial zones integrating renewable energy, embedded utilities and advanced water infrastructure.
It has also partnered with the Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance to promote energy efficiency and conservation projects across ecozones.
To strengthen sustainability governance, PEZA is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) frameworks into ecozone operations.
It is also working with Japan-based sustainability technology company Zeroboard to help ecozone locators measure, manage and disclose greenhouse gas emissions.
As of May, PEZA had approved P124.84 billion worth of investments across all sectors, led by manufacturing and information technology-business process management projects.
Panga said the expanded incentives under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan are expected to sustain strong growth in renewable energy investments in the country’s economic zones.