PEZA signs integrity pledge with Baguio City

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and the local government unit of Baguio City recently signed an integrity pledge affirming commitment to uphold high ethical standards and transparent business practices.

PEZA Officer-in-Charge Tereso Panga and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed the integrity pledge on March 4.

“The signing ceremony, held at the PEZA office in Baguio City, marks a significant step toward promoting a culture of integrity and accountability in the country’s economic zones,” the PEZA said.

Also present during the signing were PEZA deputy director general for operations Vivian Santos, deputy director general for finance and administration Aleem Siddiqui Guiapal and Baguio City economic zone administrator Emmanuel Cortero.

While exchanging ideas on good governance, Magalong shared his campaign to encourage government officials to shun temptations of corruption and promote transparency in government dealings.

“This movement of good governance should spread like [a] virus and infect the whole of government apparatus,” Magalong said.

Meanwhile, the Baguio City Mayor also shared the aspiration of Baguio to become the first smart city in the country.

In response, Panga said the PEZA upholds and shares the same ideals of good governance in the advent of the digital economy.

“As with the aim of Baguio City to be a smart city, PEZA likewise has implemented pioneering programs and initiatives to transform public and private economic zones into “green ecozones,”Panga said.

He added that PEZA   has registered embedded renewable energy projects, thereby reducing carbon footprints in ecozones for a sustainable development.

“Towards a circular economy, PEZA has registered waste to energy projects. And for further ease in doing business, we will roll out the completion of automation projects within months, together with the command center not only for purposes of monitoring the flow of goods to and from ecozone to curb smuggling, but as well as integrating the same with DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) programs for emergency response, disaster resiliency and business continuity plan,” Panga said.