What CEZA does

CEZA (Cagayan Economic Zone Authority) is a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) operating under the Office of the President, established in 1995 under Republic Act 7922 to manage the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP). The CSEZFP is the country's largest Freeport and special economic zone, spanning over 54,000 hectares at the northeastern tip of Luzon where the West Philippine Sea meets the Pacific Ocean. CEZA administers enterprise registration, gaming operations licensing (Interactive Gaming and Land-based Gaming without PAGCOR pre-approval), offshore fintech licensing, CEZA Working Visa issuance, property leasing, port and airport operations, and tax incentive administration under the CREATE MORE Act.

The organization operates digital platforms including the CEZA verification portal (verification.ceza.gov.ph), OSAC online services for registration and visa processing, and a transparency portal for government compliance. Core infrastructure under its purview includes the Cagayan North International Airport (150-hectare site, 2,100m x 45m ICAO/IATA-certified runway), Port Irene (189-meter pier, 13m draft, handling vessels up to 15,000 GRT), standard 1,320 m² factory buildings, and the 5-hectare CEZA Business District with Corporate and Commercial Centers. Banking tenants (Landbank, BDO) operate within CEZA facilities.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: one-time enterprise registration and accreditation fees, recurring gaming and fintech licensing fees, property and lease income on industrial and commercial facilities, and CEZA Working Visa and labor service fees via the One Stop Action Center (OSAC). Investor segments include gaming operators, offshore fintech companies, tourism and hospitality investors, logistics and manufacturing firms, agro-industrial and aquaculture operators, and renewable energy developers. Customer acquisition is consultative and government-led, relying on the official website, virtual tour platform, direct investment promotion, and three physical offices (Santa Ana headquarters, Makati administrative office, Tuguegarao regional office). The agency is led by Administrator & CEO Katrina Ponce Enrile.

Name

CEZA

Legal name

Cagayan Economic Zone Authority

Website

https://ceza.gov.ph

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

CEZA (Cagayan Economic Zone Authority) is a Philippine government authority that manages the 54,000-hectare Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport, providing enterprise registration, gaming and fintech licensing, property leasing, and visa services to domestic and foreign investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

HQ country

Philippines

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Registration and Accreditation Fees: CEZA collects fees from businesses registering as locators within the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. Registration fees are collected for various business categories including manufacturing, tourism, logistics, and other permitted activities.
2. Gaming Operations Licensing: CEZA acts as the gaming authority for the Cagayan Special Economic Zone, licensing Interactive Gaming and Land-based Gaming activities. This includes issuing licenses without requiring prior approval from PAGCOR, generating regulatory and licensing fees.
3. Fintech License Fees: CEZA serves as a fintech licensor, issuing licenses to offshore fintech operators within the economic zone. Revenue is generated through licensing fees and regulatory charges for fintech operations.
4. Property and Lease Income: CEZA derives revenue from leasing factory buildings, warehouses, and commercial spaces within the economic zone. Facilities include standard factory buildings of 1,320 m² per unit, warehouses, and the CEZA Business District with Corporate Center and Commercial Center.
5. Working Visa and Labor Services: CEZA issues CEZA Working Visas valid for two years and provides labor-related services through the One Stop Action Center (OSAC), generating fees for visa processing, work permits, and employment-related administrative services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEZA manages the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP), a 54,000-hectare economic zone at the northeastern tip of the Philippines. It sells enterprise registration and accreditation, gaming and fintech licensing, CEZA Working Visas, tax incentive packages under RA 7922 and CREATE MORE Act, and One Stop Action Center (OSAC) services including port accreditation, environmental compliance, infrastructure permits, and labor services. CEZA also provides physical infrastructure such as Port Irene, Cagayan North International Airport, factory buildings, warehouses, and the CEZA Business District for tenants and investors.

Product overview

CEZA (Cagayan Economic Zone Authority) operates the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP), a 54,000-hectare special economic zone and freeport. The organization provides a comprehensive suite of services including locator registration, gaming operations licensing, fintech licensing, and One Stop Action Center (OSAC) services. Key infrastructure includes Port Irene, Cagayan North International Airport, CEZA Corporate Center, Commercial Center, and Business District. Investment opportunities span tourism, logistics, manufacturing, agro-industrial, aquaculture, renewable energy, offshore fintech, and gaming sectors. Tax incentives under CREATE MORE Act include Income Tax Holiday, Special Corporate Income Tax, and enhanced deductions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport (CSEZFP)
• Locator Registration Services
• Gaming Operations Licensing
• Fintech License Services
• One Stop Action Center (OSAC) Services
• CEZA Working Visa
• Tax and Fiscal Incentives Package
• Investment Opportunities Portal
• Virtual Tour Platform
• Factory Buildings and Warehouses (Port Irene)
• CEZA Business District (Corporate and Commercial Centers)
• Port Irene Operations
• Cagayan North International Airport (CNIA) Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• Shipping time to Kaohsiung: 15 hours or less
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Landbank of the PhilippinesminorOthersLandbank operates a branch at the ground floor of CEZA Corporate Center in Makati, providing banking and financial services to CEZA staff and stakeholders. This is a tenant relationship rather than formal strategic partnership.
• BDO UnibankminorOthersBDO operates a branch at the ground floor of CEZA Corporate Center in Makati, offering banking services to CEZA operations and investors. Similar to Landbank, this is a commercial tenancy arrangement.
• Bureau of Immigration (BI) Aparri, CagayancoreOthersBI Aparri processes and approves CEZA Working Visa (CWV) applications submitted through OSAC. Upon CEZA's evaluation and document preparation, BI Aparri conducts derogatory record checks and issues the CWV sticker. This is a critical regulatory partnership for visa processing.
• Fiscal Incentives Review Board (FIRB)coreOthersFIRB serves as the approving body for tax incentives exceeding PHP 15 billion investment thresholds. CEZA and FIRB jointly administer incentive availment for registered enterprises based on investment size and sector classification under CREATE MORE Act.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA): The Philippines' largest network of special economic zones (over 400 zones) directly comparable to CEZA in mandate — locator registration, fiscal incentives, and regulatory oversight — but with a more mature manufacturing exporter base and greater Metro Manila proximity.
• Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA): Another Philippine freeport authority operating a major industrial zone with port, manufacturing, logistics, and tourism tenants — directly comparable to CEZA in regulatory structure, locator registration, and infrastructure-leasing model.
• Clark Development Corporation (CDC): Manages the Clark Freeport Zone with a comparable mix of aviation-linked logistics, manufacturing, tourism, and BPO tenants, governed under a similar GOCC structure to CEZA and competing for the same pool of Philippine ecozone investors.
• Labuan Financial Services Authority (Labuan FSA): Malaysia's offshore financial centre regulator — directly comparable to CEZA's fintech and offshore financial services licensing franchise, with similar licensing, regulatory, and fee-revenue mechanics.

Emerging players

• Mauritius Financial Services Commission: Regulator and licensor for Mauritius's global business and fintech sector — comparable to CEZA's role as an offshore fintech and investment licensing authority for Asia-Pacific facing operators.
• Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC): Kazakhstan's emerging offshore financial and fintech jurisdiction with independent regulatory authority — comparable to CEZA's fintech licensing mandate and self-regulating positioning as a regional offshore hub.

Broad incumbents

• Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza): One of the world's largest free zones, operated by DP World — broadly comparable to CEZA in port-and-zone infrastructure, licensing, and tenant services, but at much greater scale, with a private-operator governance model.
• JTC Corporation: Singapore's lead industrial infrastructure agency managing Jurong and other estate zones — broadly comparable to CEZA's economic zone management mandate, but in a far more mature ecosystem and under a statutorily empowered state developer model.

Regional players

• Madeira International Business Centre: Portuguese autonomous region's offshore licensing regime for financial and digital services — directly comparable to CEZA's offshore fintech licensing franchise, with similar low-tax and licensing-fee mechanics at smaller scale.
• Batam Indonesia Free Zone Authority (BP Batam): Indonesia's free zone authority operating the Batam–Bintan–Karimun special economic zone — comparable to CEZA as a regional ASEAN freeport authority competing for manufacturing and logistics tenants, but focused on Singapore-adjacent rather than Northeast Asia trade lanes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceza-gov-ph

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEZA