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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News
PASAY CITY, December 17, 2024 (SDN) — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) is seeking to revive engagement with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
If ever, the “engagement” will be about capacitating the Bangsamoro government in the establishment of special economic zones (ecozones) in the region comprising of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as its component cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato. Also, under the BARMM jurisdiction is the Special Geographic Area (SGA) now made up of eight municipalities in North Cotabato.
PEZA Director General Tereso O. Panga revealed this when SDN – SciTech & Digital News asked him if the agency has any engagement with the Bangsamoro government concerning ecozones.
He said PEZA wants to “revive” its engagement with the BARMM, given that the agency had already started talks with the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
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Recall that the BARMM, established in January 2019, replacing the 20-year-old ARMM, has its own Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority (BEZA).
On Monday, December 16, at the PEZA Headquarters within the Double Dragon Complex along Macapagal Avenue here, the agency presented its 2024 Year-End Report and Thanksgiving for the Media.
PEZA has been the principal driver in the establishment of ecozones in the country on various industries, among them, Export Manufacturing Enterprise, Information Technology (IT) Export Enterprises, Tourism Export Enterprises, Agro-Industrial Export Enterprises, Medical Tourism Export Enterprise, and Logistics Services Economic Zone.
Note that though the global Halal industry is worth US$3.2 trillion, exclusive of Islamic finance, and is projected to rise to US$13.11 trillion by 2025 (per Islamic Economic.com), the Philippines still has no Halal-focused ecozones, thus, apparently, the country is missing out on a sure-fire revenue-generating economic endeavor.
For Halal food and beverages alone, according to Fortune Business Insights, the world Halal market rose to US$1.96 trillion in 2020 and is seen to increase to US$3.27 trillion by 2026.
That’s a whole lot of potentials for the Philippines to take a bite from the world’ Halal pie.
On the other hand, that’s one of the plans of PEZA.
Under the aegis of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the government’s ecozone-focused agency already had ongoing talks with ARMM leaders in the past, said Panga, but was cut short when it was abolished by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and replaced by the BARMM, which runs on a unique parliamentary setup under a Republican government.
Granting PEZA plans would work like magic as it does, the Philippines may not longer than long have a Halal-focused ecozone.
“In fact, one of the special economic zones we are promoting is the Halal food production hub. So, that one is also a priority,” Panga assures, fielding questions from SDN.
The PEZA director general recalled the agency’s prior engagement with ARMM.
PEZA reaching out to BARMM government to rekindle engagement
“In the past during ARMM, the BARMM predecessor, we were able to engage them to sign a MOA (Memorandum of Agreement), because the idea is we wanted to capacitate them, teach them how to do ecozone development because we have the brand already,” recalls Panga.
“So, when we set up (an ecozone), let’s say in the BARMM area, we will initially manage it until such time that they are ready, then we will gladly turn the ecozone management to them. But ARMM was abolished, so we are reviving that talks with the BARMM,” he emphasizes.
Panga said PEZA has been reaching out to the BARMM leadership to rekindle the past engagement with ARMM.
He made this statement as he noted that the BOL has a provision that “we cannot introduce ecozone development in their jurisdiction.”
Still on Halal, the PEZA head said they were also working on signing an FDA, especially with the United Arab Emirates, which brought to the Philippines a UAE-based Halal Certifying Body (HCB), and is now helping companies come and invest in the country.
A check with the peza.gov.ph shows the Philippines is host to 419 ecozones as of April 2023: 78 Manufacturing Ecozones, 297 Information Technology Parks/Centers, 17 Tourism Export Enterprises, 24 Agro-Industrial Economic Zones; and three Medical Tourims Parks/Centers.
The BARMM’s BEZA is headed by lawyer Sukarno A. Abas, executive director.
There’s only one ecozone in the Bangsamoro region, so far, the Polloc Freeport and Economiz Zone in Polloc Port, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte.
But plans are afoot for the establishment of an ecozone in Cotabato City’s Mother Barangay Tamontaka which was discussed in a meeting on June 10, 2024, to find out details of the proposed economic zone. BEZA and local government of Cotabato City were engaged in the meeting as they found out “a significant interest level from the two parties. (♡)