PALAWAN is being eyed as the country’s first mega economic zone, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said.

PEZA said that they will be making the location at Puerto Princesa City, with a land development of around 26,000 hectares.

According to Director General Tereso Panga the said mega ecozones are fast becoming a trend in Southeast Asia to attract big-ticket investments. 

“We want to see a cluster of industry in an area where the ecosystem can be developed to facilitate the whole supply chain in manufacturing, (a) vertical integration,” the PEZA chief said.

According to Panga, the mega ecozone will have its own power, water supply and port. 

It is said to host the entire supply chain of the electric vehicle industry.

Panga said that they are currently in talks with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) as the land development is eyed in Barangay Iwahig, where a penal colony is. 

PEZA and BuCor will also sign a memorandum of agreement within this month for the usage of the latter’s property.

The project will be PEZA’s fifth public ecozone after Baguio, Pampanga, Cavite, and Mactan in Cebu.