Ecozones register $30.3B in 3 quarters, up by 29%

DOLLAR earnings raked in by exporters in the different economic zones (Ecozones) in the country jumped by 28.96 percent in the first three quarters of the year to $30.275 billion.

Locators of privately operated economic zones contributed $21.3 billion to the total January-to-September exports, 32.4 percent higher compared with the same period in 2009.

Companies in government-owned economic zones, on the other hand, registered a 27.75-percent hike in export earnings to $5.766 billion in the first nine months of the year.

Meanwhile, service exporters in information technology (IT) parks and buildings reported total three-quarter dollar earnings of $3.207 billion, 11.6-percent better compared with the same period last year.

In terms of employment, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority reported that ecozone locators collectively employ 721,588 individuals, up 21.84 percent compared with September last year.

Public ecozones employ 124,118 individuals, while the privately run ecozones have 331,492 total personnel. The IT parks and buildings, on the other hand, are now home to 265,978 employees.  –Max V. de Leon / Reporter, Businessmirror