In the 1960’s, the Philippine Government made a remarkable step toward investment planning to attract foreign investments into the country. Former Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 66, creating the Export Processing Zone Authority, the forerunner of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority or the PEZA today. The site chosen was Mariveles, Bataan.

Since then, remarkable progress took place at the Bataan Export Processing Zone, the first and premiere economic zone in the country, now called the Bataan Economic Zone. A former 1,200 hectares barren jungle is now transformed into a modern industrial complex with more than 60 multinational companies manufacturing products for the World and providing employment to more than 25,000 Filipinos.