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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ecozone is Cagayan Valley’s economic propeller

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TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan—Despite difficult challenges in the world of business, the government-sanctioned Cagayan Economic Zone Authority has become the top economic driver of the Cagayan Valley region after 10 years of operation.

This is a result of the establishment in CEZA of international standard tourism, leisure and recreation, as well as information and communication technology-business process management or IT-BPM, ecozone officials said.

CEZA public relations head Marie Joyce Jayme-Calimag said significant and successful accomplishments of the economic zone and freeport in 10 years of operation contributed to the region’s fast-growing economy.

The tourism industry in Cagayan is booming after the massive promotion of its beautiful islands and white sand beaches, particularly in Sta. Ana town on the northeasternmost point of Luzon.

“The Palaui Island here, for example, is ranked 10th among the 100 best islands in the world, and is one of the three best islands in the Philippines by ‘CNN Travel Blog,’” Calimag said.

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The ecozone has been hosting annual water sports activities like jet skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, and game fishing, particularly in Palaui Island and the beaches of Anguib, Gotan, Nangaramoan, and Pozzorobo all in Sta. Ana.

Big and small private tour operators are mushrooming in the hotel and restaurant industry, which contribute much to the development of CEZA, Calimag added.

The increasing tourist arrivals in the area is a result of the recent “Survivor America” television reality show filed on the island.

In 2016, the Cagayan Freeport exceeded its target of 200,000 tourist arrivals, a significant increase from only 4,604 in 2007, both local and international tourists.

The economic zone is now also tagged as Game Fishing Capital of the Philippines, Calimag said.

Cagayan Valley also has the facilities and manpower resources that can accommodate small and medium business process outsourcing companies with its IT-BPM facilities at the ecozone.

While the country maintains its position as the first location for voice and second for non-voice services, the establishment of a “cyber park” in the ecozone is going to be one of the top 10 best in the world, she said.

The ecozone’s telecommunications network “now boasts to be one of the best in Asia in terms of latency and capacity, and this is backed up by Cagayan province’s reputable schools and universities that groom the pool of labor for flourishing industries, like the IT-BPM, in the freeport,” Calimag said.

Apart from converting the economic zone into the technohub center of the Philippines, she said CEZA is “also aiming to make it the gateway to Northern Luzon’s tourism frontier.”

These developments also make CEZA a major job generator in Cagayan Valley, with more than 12,000 individuals employed in various sectors within the economic zone.

In addition, the new P1.7-billion Cagayan North International Airport in Lallo town contributes much to the economy of Region 2, particularly in job generation.

Last year, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines granted a new certificate to the CNIA, allowing it to cater to bigger commercial aircraft under the Global Express Aircraft Category and below with Code 3C. With it, the airport can now cater to 100-seater and below aircraft.

“We can now invite bigger aircraft operators to operate in the Airport, which means more employment. That is why we have been aggressive in inviting investors to locate at the ecozone,” Calimag said.

CEZA was created through Republic Act 7922 as a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President to manage and supervise the development of the economic zone and freeport.

Covered by CEZA under its charter are Santa Ana and the islands of Fuga, Barit and Mabbag in the municipality of Aparri have approximately 54,118 hectares of urban, suburban and agro-industrial lands for prime development, all lying along the West Philippine Sea-Pacific Ocean coast.

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