Hotels, resorts urged to enlist as ecozones

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has called unto Cebu hotel and resort owners to register to avail of the tax perks amid rising operational cost.

PEZA director general Charito Plaza yesterday reached out to the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association (HRRAC) through its president Carlo Suarez to encourage hotels and resorts to register as tourism economic zone (TEZ).

Plaza was in Cebu yesterday and met with HRRAC members and other tourism stakeholders in Cebu during the “Wow Philippines” partylist tourism forum in Cebu held yesterday at the Cebu Convention Center.

Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark Mactan, Cebu has gotten a PEZA registration, which means that it is now enjoying tax holidays, importation tax discounts, among others.

Hotels or restaurants, which are located inside a tourism economic zone can also enjoy the same fiscal incentives availed of by economic zone locators.

Plaza said her office is now intensifying its campaign to invite hotels and resorts, and other tourism-related infrastructure to register.

PEZA currently administers 366 economic zones across the country, 74 of which are manufacturing zones, 250 are IT parks, 21 are agro-industrial zones, 19 are tourism zones, and two are medical tourism parks.

As of 2017, PEZA recorded 4,271 locator companies that generate 1.4 million direct employment.

Since her appointment as PEZA director general in the Duterte administration, Plaza has been inviting private companies to embark into ecozone projects, including Local

Government Units (LGUs), to convert their idle lands to economic zones.

HRRAC on the other hand will encourage its members to consider PEZA’s invitation.