Five Metro Manila IT parks apply for PEZA ecozone status

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter and Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales

FIVE information technology (IT) parks and centers in Metro Manila are applying to become Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered economic zones (ecozones), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.

This comes after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. lifted the seven-year moratorium for IT parks and centers in Metro Manila.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN Tech Summit Manila 2026 on Wednesday, Trade Secretary Maria Cristina A. Roque said the five projects have pending applications with PEZA.

The developments include MJ Landtrade Development Corp.’s Altaire in Makati City; Triumvirate Development Corp.’s One Trium Tower in Muntinlupa City; Ayala Land, Inc.’s ARCA South 1 in Taguig City; Aseana Holdings, Inc.’s Parqal in Parañaque City; and San Lorenzo Ruiz Investment Holdings and Services, Inc.’s The Yuchengco Centre in Makati City.

“That’s a big win for the IT-BPM (information technology-business process management) sector and also the real estate, because they can now open BPOs (business process outsourcing firms) in Metro Manila, and there’s a lot real estate (office) spaces that are vacant now,” Ms. Roque told reporters.

Under Administrative Order (AO) No. 45, the PEZA Board is directed to accept, process and evaluate all applications for IT centers and parks in Metro Manila.

However, the moratorium on new ecozone applications in the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to apply to all developments except those related to the IT-BPM industry.

The order amended AO No. 18, issued in June 2019, which suspended the processing and evaluation of applications for new ecozones in Metro Manila to encourage more investments in the countryside.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said AO 45 provides global investors and existing locators with the necessary flexibility to expand their operations in the country.

“In today’s highly competitive investment environment, speed and flexibility matter,” IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan “Jack” R. Madrid said in a statement.

The group noted that Metro Manila remains a central location for setting up global offices and hiring digital talent.

“AO 45 gives investors greater confidence that the Philippines can respond to evolving business requirements while preserving our long-term commitment to countryside development,” he added.

Mr. Madrid noted that the moratorium lift would help attract new investments, support business expansions, and generate more high-quality jobs.

Property consultancy firm Colliers Philippines said lifting the moratorium on new IT parks and centers is expected to unlock significant office supply in secondary markets like the Bay Area, providing business process outsourcing (BPO) firms with more cost-effective alternatives to traditional business districts.

“The benefit for locators is they have more cost-effective options outside the CBDs (central business districts) for their PEZA operations to be accommodated,” Kevin Jara, director for office services in tenant representation at Colliers Philippines, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of their market briefing on Wednesday.

He identified the Bay Area as a primary beneficiary due to its high volume of available developments that can now apply for PEZA accreditation.

Colliers noted existing developments such as Altaire, Yuchengco Center, and Filinvest Land, Inc.’s One Filinvest could pursue accreditation immediately to resolve leasing challenges.

According to Colliers, approximately 600,000 square meters in the future office pipeline could potentially apply for PEZA status.

Mr. Jara noted that the move is prompting IT-BPM firms to revisit expansion plans.

“It’s worthwhile for them to review their real estate now because there are already options in the market for them to benchmark against a potential renewal in their current situation,” he added.