Export-oriented projects registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) jumped 65 percent in the first half of the year to P61.296 billion versus P38.612 billion in the same period of 2009, but despite the robust growth the state-run agency said they are not revising its 15 percent growth target saying they cannot count the eggs that are not yet hatched.

In a report to Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, PEZA director-general Lilia B. De Lima said the approved investments represent the combined project cost of 246 projects.

Once in full commercial operation, these projects are expected to create 44,127 jobs or 5.12 percent more than the 41,977 jobs created in the same period last year.

Of the total investments registered by PEZA, ecozone enterprises contributed P44.961 billion while ecozone developers are investing P16.315 billion.

The approved projects are expected to generate $2.84 billion in exports or 91.58 percent higher than the  $1.482 billion projected exports for projects registered in the same first semester of 2009.

PEZA spokesman Elmer San Pascual said the decision to stick to its investments growth target was unanimously agreed among economic zone managers during its June 3 meeting with PEZA director-general De Lima.

“We will be meeting at the most our growth target, but we will not change our target,” San Pascual said.

He said the P201-billion investment goal this year or 15 percent over the 2009 total investment generation of P175-billion is already very stiff.

“The growth target is already quite tough for us to beat because the electronics companies only started to recover in the fourth quarter last year. We really have to work harder. While there are anticipated investments to come in the second half of the year, still these have to be realized yet,” San Pascual said.

He said that PEZA registered a negative growth rate in the first half of 2009 over the same period of 2008 as the global financial crisis took its heavy toll on the electronics sector. The bulk of PEZA investors are electronics firms, which are exporting most of their produce.