THE world?s best pound-for-pound fighter, Manny Pacquiao, is planning to venture into a mixed-use tourism development in his native General Santos City which could be turned into a tourism economic zone (ecozone) through the government?s support.
Representatives of Manny Pacquiao Heights Development Corp. recently paid a visit to National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General Ralph Recto to discuss how the company could get government support in this endeavor.
?They [Pacquiao?s representatives] wrote a letter asking for government support for their business plan in General Santos City. They plan to focus on tourism, which could be declared an ecozone,? Recto told reporters.
In a letter to Recto, Manny Pacquiao Heights said it has developed a business plan for a certain location in General Santos City. It will focus on various tourism projects, such as medical-tourism facilities with power, water and other basic utility services.
The company also said the project will provide employment through livelihood programs for local residents, while the power and other utilities aspect of the project will complement the government?s infrastructure programs, such as farm-to-market roads in General Santos City.
Recto told reporters that the Pacquiao firm is looking at a mixed-use tourism development which could be turned into a tourism ecozone. Recto said he referred Pacquiao?s company to seek the help of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) Director General Lilia de Lima.
The Neda?s recommendation was the same that was given to the company by the Departments of Tourism (DOT) and of Health (DOH), and the Board of Investments.
Recto said the Peza will be the best agency to help the company and could guide it in the proper and legal direction to have the project declared an ecozone.
The Peza, however, merely oversees and administers incentives to developers/operators and locators in world-class, ready-to-occupy, environment-friendly, secured and competitively priced special economic zones.
It is an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, the agency tasked to promote investments, extend assistance, register, grant incentives to and facilitate the business operations of investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities inside selected areas throughout the country proclaimed by the President of the Philippines as Peza special economic zones.
There are several kinds of ecozones in the Philippines. These are the manufacturing economic zones, information technology parks/centers, agro-industrial economic zones, tourism economic zones, and medical tourism parks/centers.
According to the Peza, there are 64 manufacturing economic zones in the country; around 118 information technology parks/centers; two agro-industrial economic zone; nine tourism economic zones; and two medical tourism parks/centers.
Ecozones enjoy fiscal and nonfiscal incentives, such as four-year income-tax holiday upon the establishment of the ecozone; an option to pay a special 5-percent tax on gross income earned in lieu of all national and local taxes, except real property taxes on land owned by developers after the expiration of the four-year income tax holiday; permission to employ foreign nationals and incentives under the build-operate-transfer law.
The nine tourism economic zones are the Boracay Eco-Village Resort Tourism Ecozone, Eastbay Arts, Recreational and Tourism Zone, Fort Ilocandia Tourism Ecozone, John Hay Special Tourism Ecozone, Misibis Resorts and Estates, Newport City CyberTourism Zone, Pamalican Island Tourism Ecozone, Philippine BXT Corp. Tourism Economic Zone, and the San Lazaro Tourism and Business Park.
The medical tourism parks/centers, meanwhile, are the St. Luke?s Medical Center Bonifacio Global City and the Saint Frances Cabrini Medical Tourism Park.
