PEZA Partners with MinDA and ENECO for Ecozone Improvements
The future of the Philippines and our Economic Zones (Ecozones) from different parts of the country is bright as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) recently partnered with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) to enhance the development of ecozones in the countryside.
PEZA also secured a deal with Canada’s ENECO WTE Pacific, Inc. to implement a waste treatment and environmental management facility in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) and other ecozones found within the CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region.
Both developments will introduce significant improvements to PEZA ecozones covered by these upcoming projects in the countryside despite the reported moratorium for new ecozone applications in Metro Manila last month to focus efforts in promoting economic activity in the countryside.
PEZA to Create More EcoZones in Mindanao
Last July 29, the investment promotion agency and MinDa aims to create ecozones in Mindanao in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s orders to focus on the promotion of economic activities in the countryside through Administrative Order (AO) 18.
AO 18, also known as the ”Accelerating rural progress through robust development of Special Economic Zones in the countryside” last June 17, 2019. The measure directs all concerned government agencies, including PEZA, to “hasten human capital and infrastructure development, as well as to provide needed interventions to strengthen ecozones in the countryside.”
PEZA Director General Charito Plaza met with MinDa Officer-in-Charge Chairman Nathaniel Dalumpines to discuss areas where they can establish with potential as ecozones in Mindanao. Prior to the passing of AO 18, they have an existing partnership with the development authority through a Memorandum of Agreement last 2017 for the creation of agri-economic and PEZA Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in Mindanao.
“AO 18 now provides Mindanao a great opportunity to proactively shepherd ecozone development outside growth centers, propel sustainable economic activities, generate more jobs, and increase agricultural and rural enterprise productivity, thereby optimizing export potential,” he said.
ENECO Begins Greening of CALABARZON Ecozones
ENECO signed a memorandum of understanding with PEZA to support the investment promotion agency’s greening program for ecozones. The Canadian firm intends to establish a waste management and energy recovery systems in the Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ) located in Cebu, and ecozones in the CALABARZON region with a combined total of $80 million (Php 4 Billion) in project costs
Last July 31, Plaza lead the groundbreaking of ENECO’s Thermal Oxidation Process System (TOPS) gasifier plant in the MEZ. As a part of their memorandum of understanding, ENECO will provide its technology in solid/liquid waste management and Waste-To-Energy generation to various ecozones and locator industries.
According to the ENECO website, it can decompose carbon-based components without any discharge of waste products. Once the TOPS system decomposes Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), ecozones no longer have to dispose of the residual material on their own. This marks the start of implementing small waste management and energy recovery systems to ecozones in the country.
