PEZA sees ESG becoming more critical to global market access

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said locators need to be more transparent about sustainability to improve their chances of joining global supply chains and attracting future investments.

In a statement on Monday, PEZA Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning Emmanuel Cortero noted that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting capabilities are increasingly influencing investment decisions, supply chain requirements, and access to global markets.

He noted that PEZA’s new e-SuRGE (Sustainability Reporting Guide for Exporters) digital platform is a strategic enabler that can help enterprises strengthen their ESG performance and deepen their participation in global value chains.

PEZA launched e-SuRGE on June 4 at a ceremony attended by Philippine and Japanese enterprises in Laguna.

The platform seeks to help simplify PEZA-registered enterprises’ ESG reporting and make such reporting more accessible, efficient, and scalable for locators operating within Philippine economic zones.

The platform was developed in partnership with Japan’s Zeroboard, Inc. and startup ecosystem builder TechShake.

Philippine companies increasingly need to give foreign investors clear insights into their risk management and alignment with global sustainability standards, PEZA said.

PEZA Group Manager Rowena Naguit also noted that the platform supports enterprises at various stages of ESG readiness.

PEZA adopted a sustainability framework in the last year to ensure compliance with global sustainability practices, hand-in-hand with its objective of attracting higher-value and more modern manufacturing and services across its ecozones.

Some 97% of executives globally have taken the view that strong sustainability reporting offers a competitive edge, according to the 2025 Executive Benchmark on Integrated Reporting by software-as-a-service platform Workiva, Inc. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz