May 28th, 2025
Chair, House Committee on Ways and Means
PBBM has made many grand-slam appointments as President, and Theo Panga in PEZA is among the President’s most confidence-building appointments.
As Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means and principal author of the CREATE and CREATE MORE laws, I express my full and respectful support for retaining Director General Theo Panga as head of PEZA.
Director General Panga has been one of the most strategic appointments made by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and one of the most effective. Under his leadership, PEZA approved ₱201.55 billion in investments as of November 2024, surpassing its full-year target and marking PEZA’s highest performance in over a decade.
What makes this achievement more significant is the context. While global foreign direct investment flows have slowed, PEZA under Director General Panga posted a 43.06 percent increase in approvals compared to November 2023, with strong investor interest in renewable energy, semiconductor packaging, agribusiness, and logistics . These are the same priority sectors championed by the President under the Bagong Pilipinas framework.
Director General Panga played a key role in steadying the ship during a time of global economic uncertainty and major policy transition. As the government implemented the CREATE and CREATE MORE laws, which fundamentally restructured our fiscal incentive system, he ensured that PEZA remained responsive, compliant, and investor-friendly.
Retaining him is not simply about continuity. It is about strengthening the Marcos administration’s credibility with the business community, reinforcing the message that good performance is rewarded, and protecting one of the most effective economic engines of the government.
I respectfully urge His Excellency President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to keep Director General Theo B. Panga in service. His continued leadership will help secure the President’s goal of positioning the Philippines as a top investment destination in Southeast Asia.