The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) participated in the recent outbound mission and bilateral meeting led by the Board of Investments (BOI) for the Philippine-Switzerland 5th Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held in Bern, Switzerland in January 12, 2023 and pitched the country’s different types of economic zones as well as the agency’s pioneering role for promoting “sustainability actions and reporting” in its 4,357 locator companies.
According to PEZA OIC Director General Tereso O. Panga, “Supporting the active promotion of the Philippines as ‘driver of growth and a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region’ by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. in his foreign travels, we in PEZA are glad to come earlier to Switzerland before the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in Davos and contribute to harnessing good relations between Philippines and Switzerland through the Joint Economic Commission (JEC).”
Panga is elated to share after the JEC meeting and business-to-business meetings that “Having keen interest in Philippine economic zones because of its one-stop-shop and ease of doing business, there are Swiss companies interested to invest in the Philippines and those already operating are expressing to expand their investments.”
“Of the 60 Swiss companies operating in the Philippines, 28 are registered with PEZA as export-oriented in IT and manufacturing enterprises. These Swiss locators have by far generated PhP 19.618 billion in cumulative investments and 8,547 direct jobs,” OIC Panga added.
BOI Managing Head Undersecretary Ceferino ‘Perry’ Rodolfo led the Philippine delegation in the JEC bilateral talks with the Swiss government on trade and investments. The Swiss government was represented by: The Head of Bilateral Economic Relations and State Secretariate for Economic Affairs (SECO); Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research Ambassador Erwin Bollinger; and Head of the Division Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) of SECO Minister Karin Buechel.
