PEZA hosts high-level delegation from Latin American and Caribbean countries

Trade Secretary of Philippines Alfredo Pascual, recently, said that the Philippines is eyeing to form bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with Latin American and Caribbean countries (LAC).

As per the update, in support of this strategy, the DFA, through the Office of American Affairs, organized a PEZA Briefing and Ecozone Tour at the Lima Technology Center-Special Economic Zone (LTC) for Diplomatic Missions and Consulates of LAC.

LTC is one of the leading ecozones in the country and a world-class model for fully integrated/mixed-use ecozones and smart townships.

The update further informed that joining the high-profile delegation of dignitaries were foreign Ambassadors to the Philippines of Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Venezuela and Panama, as well as Honorary Consuls of Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Guyana, Peru, and Uruguay.

To date, PEZA has registered six locator companies from LAC (3 Mexican, 1 Argentinian, 1 Panamanian, and 1 Belizean) with P3.0 billion in cumulative investments and 11,072 actual direct jobs.

As the officials echo the call of the President of Philippines that the country is the smart destination in the Asia-Pacific region and that the best time to invest in the Philippines is now.

They urged the Diplomatic Missions and Consulates of LAC to pursue greater trade and investment ties with the Philippines, particularly in the sectors of agricultural and fisheries products, processed food and meat, green ores, IT services, tourism, fuel/energy, machinery, electronics, transport, chemicals and textile.