Ecozone investments down 56% to P28.6B

While the Board of Investments (BOI) is reporting an almost 300-percent rise in approved investments in the first 10 months of the year compared to last year, the special economic zones are experiencing a sharp drop in locator investments.

Lilia B. de Lima, director general of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), reported that as of Oct. 11 this year new investments in economic zone amounted to only P28.6 billion, a 56 percent drop from the comparable level of P64.7 billion in the same period last year.

The drop in locator investments was attributed to the slump in the electronics sector.

Most of the locator investors in the special economic zones are electronics manufacturers.

De Lima also reported to Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II that the PEZA approved P1.008 billion in new economic zone locator investments that will generate annual average exports of $119.984 million and result in 3,244 direct employment.

The new export enterprises approved by the PEZA were that of the Mikuni Electronics Corp. with a project cost of P16.078 million; Olympus Optical Products Phils. Inc., P85.72 million; Matsushita Communication Industrial Corp. of the Philippines; Nouveau Manufacturing Inc., P9.044 million; Asaba Components Phils. Inc., P44.843 million and Fujitsu Ten Corp. of the Philippines.

It also approved new and expansion projects of existing export enterprises such as those of Fujitsu Ten Corp., Spectrum Components, Inc., Terumo (Philippines) Corp. and Taylo Yuden (Phils.) Inc.

PEZA also approved one information technology enterprise, that of International Data Conversion Solutions, Inc. with a project cost of P15.5 million.

A lone facilities enterprise was, likewise, approved by the PEZA, that of Ecozone Facilities Corp. with a project cost of P29.251 million.

Lastly, the PEZA Board also approved one utilities enterprise, Mirant (Philippines) Mobile Corp. with a project cost of P381.84 million.

Meanwhile, Rohm Electronics Phils. Inc. and Rohm Mechatech Phils. Inc. signed their registration agreements with the PEZA to expand the production of their microchip resistors, capacitors, large scale integrated circuits, test box, quad flat packages; and molding dies and lead frames at the People’s Technology Complex Special Economic Zone (PTC-SEZ) in Carmona, Cavite.

The Rohm Group is one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturing companies and through its Rohm Electronics, Rohm Mechatech, and Rohm Apollo Semiconductor, has infused a total of P9.781 billion worth of investment in PEZA Economic Zone.

Rohm officials led by Rohm Electronics Phils. Inc. general manager Naotaka Oka and Rohm Mechatech Phils. Inc. general manager Antonio Dacalos told De Lima that the expansion of their projects is a strong manifestation of their faith and confidence in the Philippines.