Japanese Business Community Engage in PH Trade and Investment Opportunities Through Global Biz With PEZA
Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V welcoming more than 260 registered participants from Japanese corporate and financial institutions to the Global Biz with PEZA featuring Japan.
16 December 2021 – The Global Biz with PEZA (Philippine Economic Zone Authority) featuring Japan was held today via Zoom. The event is attended by more than 260 registered participants from Japanese corporate and financial institutions.
In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V stated that the country’s transition to a “sustainable and more inclusive society opens many opportunities for economic expansion due to its early reforms and strong macroeconomic fundamentals.” The Philippines needs deeper and broader cooperation with countries like Japan in order to continue to an “economic growth path and a robust bounce back from the pandemic.”
According to Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, Japan views the Philippines as an important part of the supply chain in the ASEAN region and expects that, after the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) comes into effect by 01 January 2022, the economic ties between the two countries, as well as the other member countries, will be enhanced further.
Currently, Japan continues to be one of PH’s most significant trade, investment and development assistance partners as it ranks second highest trade partner, second largest investment source, and top ODA bilateral contributor.
PEZA Director-General Charito Plaza reports that, as of October 2021, PEZA has generated Php 62.722 billion of investments from 215 new and expansion projects, and exports amounting to USD 46.141 billion, hosting 415 ecozones and 4,670 locator companies that directly employ 1.7 million workers.
Minister and Consul Leah Victoria C. Rodriguez informed the participants that the Philippines and Japan share many areas of convergence that resulted in the expansion of the bilateral engagements of the two countries in a wide range of areas.
The forum also included Deputy Director General Norma B. Tanag and Deputy Director General Tereso O. Panga of PEZA; Minister and Consul Leah Victoria C. Rodriguez and Commercial Counsellor Dita Angara-Mathay of the Embassy of the Philippines; Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines (JCCPI) President Keiichi Matsunaga; LIMA Land, Inc. and Cebu Industrial Park President Rafael Fernandez de Mesa; First Philippine Industrial Park President Francis Giles Puno; and Toshiba Information Equipment President Jun Itoh.
“Global Biz with PEZA” is a monthly online global investor forum where export investors, industry associations, foreign chambers, investment promotion partners, ecozone developers and operators, local government units, business people, professional cooperatives, national agencies, economists, and lawmakers meet to discuss business and investments in PEZA’s economic zones.
