Marcos designates land in Victoria, Tarlac as special economic zone
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has designated an area in Victoria, Tarlac as a special economic zone, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
In a statement on Sunday, the PCO said the 297,719-square-meter property in Barangay Baculong will be known as the Victoria Industrial Park under Proclamation No. 623.
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The PCO said special economic zones are “selected areas with highly developed or which have the potential to be developed into agro-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers.”
“They may contain any or all of the following: industrial estates, export processing zones, free trade zones, and tourist/recreational centers,” it explained.
Article continues after this advertisement“Areas may be established as ecozones in a proclamation to be issued by the President and subject to the evaluation and recommendation of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) based on a detailed feasibility and engineering study,” it added.
Article continues after this advertisementUnder Peza, investors receive assistance, registers, and grant incentives. Peza also “facilitates the business operations of investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities inside selected areas throughout the country” or areas proclaimed as special economic zones.
Citing Peza’s data, the PCO said there are 419 economic zones as of April 2023 — 78 are manufacturing economic zones, 297 are information technology parks/centers, 17 are tourism export enterprises, 24 are agro-industrial economic zones, and three are medical tourism parks/center.