PEZA partners with AFP to build defense industrial ecozones
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “commits and provides its full support” to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), as the latter plans to establish a defense industrial ecozone in military reserves.
During PEZA’s 26th year anniversary celebration, AFP Chief of Staff Lt Gen Cirilito Sobejana congratulated the investment promotions agency for “persistently promoting sound and balanced industrial, economic, and social development that continuously empower our people to become productive partners and integral catalysts for progress and nation building.”
PEZA and the AFP have continued talks regarding the utilization of military reserve lands to become economic zones. Plaza stated that they discussed managing almost 20,000 hectares of military reservation areas and they’re planning to make this the first Defense Industrial Complex in the country.
“We are not militarizing PEZA. We are just making our employees and the industry workers in the ecozone as military reservists…. They can assure our investors that investing in our economic zones will be very safe and secured,” explained Plaza.