Economic zone investment pledges jump 107%

By Othel V. Campos

INVESTMENT approvals jumped 107 percent in the first four months to P33.09 billion from P15.97 billion in the same period last year, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority said Thursday.

PEZA, one of the country’s major investment agencies that provide tax incentives, administers economic zones and IT parks across the country.

PEZA director-general Tereso Panga attributed the increasing project approvals to the non-stop trade and investments missions organized by the Marcos administration.

“PEZA approved 60 new and expansion projects from January to April. We believe that we are now reaping the results of the ongoing investment missions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration’s investment initiatives, and it is now up to us to follow through the pledges,” Panga said.

Project approvals in the first four

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation

NOTICE OF ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING

months have the potential to bring in $1 billion worth of additional exports and generate 7,469 direct jobs, according to PEZA.

The PEZA board approved 14 new and expansion projects in April with combined investments of P20.56 billion and potential employment for 2,233 workers.

Among these investment commitments are seven logistics service enterprises, four export manufacturing projects and three IT enterprises. The projects will be located in Baguio City, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu and South Cotabato.

The biggest project pre-qualified by

Please be advised that the Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of METRO PACIFIC INVESTMENTS CORPORATION (the “Company”) for the year 2023 will be held on Tuesday, June 06, 2023 at 11:00 a.m.

The venue of the meeting is at Sonata Ballroom, The Westin Manila, San Miguel Avenue corner Lourdes Drive, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. Shareholders may also opt to attend the meeting virtually through the Company’s Electronic Registration and Voting System at https://conveneagm.com/ph/mpicagm

Shareholders who wish to attend the meeting, whether physically or virtually, must inform the Company’s Corporate Secretary by email at corsec@mpic.com. ph no later than May 29, 2023.

In order to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who will be attending the meeting physically in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company reserves the right to impose additional health and safety protocols at the meeting venue. Those who are interested in attending the meeting physically are advised to check the Company’s website from time to time.

The following shall be the agenda of the meeting:

I. Call to Order

II. Certification of Notice and Quorum

III. Approval of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on May 27, 2022

IV. Report of the President and Chief Executive Officer

V. Approval of the 2022 Audited Financial Statements

VI. Ratification of the Acts of the Board of Directors and Management for the year 2022

VII. Election of the Directors for the ensuing Year

VIII. Appointment of External Auditor of the Company for the year 2023

IX. Approval of Voluntary Delisting from the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange

X. Other business that may properly be brought before the meeting

XI. Adjournment

The minutes of the 2022 annual shareholders’ meeting is available at the website of the Company (www.mpic.com.ph) and will be included in the Company’s Information Statement.

The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on May 17, 2023, as the record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.

Duly accomplished proxies shall be submitted on or before May 30, 2023 to the Office of the Corporate Secretary at 9th Floor, Tower 1, Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City and/or by email to corsec@mpic.com.ph. Validation of proxies is set on June 02, 2023 at 2:00 pm.

Shareholders may vote electronically, subject to validation procedures.

The rules and procedures participating in the meeting physically and virtually and for casting their votes in absentia are set forth in the Information Statement.

A copy of the Interim Unaudited Financial Statements of the Company as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 with Management Discussion and Analysis shall be posted in the website of the Company (www.mpic.com.ph) on or before May 15, 2023. A hard copy of the Annual Report, Information Statement, and Interim Unaudited Financial Statements will be provided to any requesting shareholder, free of charge.

Very truly yours,

M. PILARES III

RICARDO

Corporate Secretary

Pasig City the PEZA board is the P19.7-billion biomass fuel manufacturing using buyo-buyo (Piper aduncum-shrub) as feedstock. The project was endorsed for approval by the Fiscal Incentives Review Board.

Meanwhile, Panga said total exports by PEZA locators reached $15.753 billion in the first quarter despite reports of widening trade deficit.

“In March alone, we generated $5.39-billion export revenues which account for 82.65 percent of the country’s total $6.528-billion exports in March this year,” he said.

The Philippines generated $1.3 billion in investment pledges and 6,700