PEZA and SM Offices Drive Regional Development Through New Santa Rosa IT Economic Zone

(FROM L-R) Sally S. So, Vice President for Corporate Tax of SM Investments Corporation, Alexis Ortiga, Vice President and Head of SM Offices of SM Prime Holdings, PEZA Director General Tereso Panga and PEZA Deputy Director General for Policy and Planning Anidelle Alguso.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and SM Offices, a business unit of SM Prime Holdings (SM Prime), have signed a Registration Agreement (RA) confirming the Presidential Proclamation of SM City Santa Rosa IT Center as an Information Technology Economic Zone.

Proclamation No. 944, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., officially designates a portion of SM City Santa Rosa as a special IT ecozone under PEZA.
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Accreditation as an IT ecozone under PEZA provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, including income tax holidays, tax and duty exemptions, streamlined import–export procedures, and access to Special Non-Immigrant Visas. The designation also ensures modern infrastructure and efficient government services, creating a strategic edge for registered IT enterprises in the Philippines.

The SM City Santa Rosa IT Center is expected to boost Laguna’s standing as a preferred location for the IT-BPM sector and contribute to the expansion of investments outside Metro Manila.

“This partnership with PEZA underscores our dedication to providing world-class spaces for the IT-BPM industry. Santa Rosa is strategically located with access to talent, infrastructure and lifestyle amenities that will support long-term growth for companies and employees alike,” said Alexis Ortiga, Vice President and Head of SM Offices of SM Prime Holdings.

SM Offices has a proven track record in supporting the IT-BPM industry through PEZA-accredited developments such as its E-Com Centers in the Mall of Asia Complex and SM North EDSA Towers in Quezon City. With the addition of SM City Santa Rosa IT Center, SM Offices extends its reach to provincial growth corridors.

“The proclamation of SM City Santa Rosa as an IT Center opens new doors for job creation and investment opportunities in the countryside. PEZA stands ready to handhold locators seeking to set up operations in the Philippines as we advance our country’s role as one of the leading global IT-BPM hubs in Asia,” said PEZA Director General Tereso Panga.

PEZA reported a 100 percent increase in investment approvals in the first seven months of 2025, reaching P90.6 billion, with up to 30 new ecozones expected by year-end.

The establishment of SM City Santa Rosa IT Center as an ecozone reinforces the shared goal of PEZA and SM Prime to attract investments, generate employment and drive regional development across the country.