--- title: "AO 45 Explained: What the Metro Manila IT Park Moratorium Lift Means for Occupiers" description: AO 45 lifted the Metro Manila IT park moratorium on 23 Jul 2026. Here is what changes for PEZA office supply and tenant incentives. image: https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/flyspaces-landing-images/FlySpaces%20Philippines%20(3).jpg --- [![spacesasia-logo](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/spacesasia-logo.png?width=260&name=spacesasia-logo.png "spacesasia-logo")](https://blog.flyspaces.com/) - [Home](https://flyspaces.com/) - Navigate - [Flexible Workspaces](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/flexible-workspaces#blog-nav) - [News and Events](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/news-and-events#blog-nav) - [Industry Insights](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/industry-insights#blog-nav) - [City Guide](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/city-guide#blog-nav) - [Case Studies](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/case-studies#blog-nav) - Connect - [Contact Us](https://flyspaces.com/contact-us) - [Subscribe](https://flyspaces.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0b15b0bb7a66ae626f3388eb9&id=f72d186210) - Share : 23 July 2026 [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) # AO 45 Explained: What the Metro Manila IT Park Moratorium Lift Means for Occupiers On 23 Jul 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Administrative Order No. 45 (AO 45). It lets the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) process applications for new IT Parks and IT Centers in Metro Manila again, ending a seven-year pause. [PTV News](https://ptvnews.ph/peza-welcomes-pbbm-lifting-of-7-year-metro-manila-it-park-moratorium/) reports the order and PEZA's reaction. This post explains what the order does, who gets the tax benefits, how much new space is actually coming, and what to check before you sign a lease. ### What AO 45 changes AO 18, issued in 2019, suspended new economic zones in the National Capital Region to push investment toward the provinces, according to [Colliers](https://www.colliers.com/en-ph/news/ao-no-45-reopens-metro-manila-to-new-peza-it-parks-and-centers). AO 45 carves out IT Parks and IT Centers from that suspension. The pause on other types of economic zones stays in place, per the [Manila Bulletin report on Colliers' analysis](https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/29/metro-manila-it-ecozone-ban-lift-to-expand-peza-office-supplycolliers). Metro Manila already has 178 IT Parks and IT Centers, with 1,072 locator companies employing about 740,000 workers, according to [PTV News](https://ptvnews.ph/peza-welcomes-pbbm-lifting-of-7-year-metro-manila-it-park-moratorium/). A locator is a company registered with PEZA that occupies space in one of these buildings. ### Why PEZA-accredited space was tight Metro Manila has about 7.9 million sqm of PEZA office stock. Roughly 1.46 million sqm of it is available to lease, but only about 496,000 sqm of that sits in Makati, BGC, and Ortigas Center, per [Context.ph](https://context.ph/2026/07/29/marcos-order-unlocks-1-2-million-sqm-peza-offices/) citing Colliers. That is about a third (496,000 ÷ 1,460,000 = 34%). Quality is part of the problem. About 44% of available PEZA office space in Metro Manila is considered aging, according to the [Inquirer](https://business.inquirer.net/604690/ao-no-45-what-developers-occupiers-and-investors-need-to-know). The [Manila Times](https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/08/01/business/top-business/peza-lauds-lifting-of-it-center-moratorium-in-ncr/2396090) adds that companies needing 5,000 sqm or more have had few options. Demand has paused rather than disappeared. [Leechiu Property Consultants](https://mb.com.ph/article/10936911/property-and-living/leechiu-insights-2000-versus-200-the-philippine-office-markets-biggest-untapped-opportunity) reports national office take-up of 488,000 sqm in 1H 2026, down 32% from a year earlier. Live requirements stand at 353,000 sqm. IT-BPM accounts for 155,000 sqm of that, and Global Capability Centers (GCCs, the offshore units of multinational companies) account for 88,000 sqm, against 67,000 sqm from third-party outsourcers. ### Who gets the tax incentives The developer does not. PEZA has said developers of new Metro Manila IT Parks and Centers are not entitled to fiscal incentives under PEZA Board Resolution No. 00-411 ([Daily Tribune](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/30/peza-lauds-pbbms-lifting-of-it-parks-centers-moratorium)). The tenant company can still qualify, subject to the applicable laws and rules, according to [Finance Secretary Frederick Go's statement](https://tribune.net.ph/2026/07/31/lifting-of-it-centers-parks-moratorium-to-lure-investors-go). For export enterprises, [PEZA's fiscal incentives page](https://www.peza.gov.ph/elligible-activities-and-incentives-category/fiscal-incentives) lists an income tax holiday of four to seven years. After that, the company pays either a 5% special corporate income tax or uses enhanced deductions for 10 years. The legal basis is the CREATE Act (RA 11534), which CREATE MORE (RA 12066) later amended ([Acclime](https://philippines.acclime.com/guides/tax-incentives/)). Whether your company qualifies, and for how long, depends on your activity and location. Confirm that with PEZA or a Philippine tax adviser before you build it into a cost model. ### How much new space is coming, and when Colliers estimates that about 607,000 sqm of office space due between 2026 and 2030 is already PEZA-proclaimed, and another 604,000 sqm could now qualify. Together that is roughly 1.2 million sqm over five years. Colliers separately cites 681,000 sqm currently in PEZA processing. These figures may overlap, so don't add them together. Five projects have filed applications, according to [BusinessWorld](https://bworldonline.com/top-stories/2026/07/30/766780/five-metro-manila-it-parks-apply-for-peza-ecozone-status/): - Altaire, by MJ Landtrade Development Corp., in Makati - One Trium Tower, by Triumvirate Development Corp., in Muntinlupa - ARCA South 1, by Ayala Land, in Taguig - Parqal, by Aseana Holdings, in Parañaque - The Yuchengco Centre, by San Lorenzo Ruiz Investment Holdings and Services, in Makati As of mid-September these were still pending and expected to move to the presidential proclamation stage, per [BusinessMirror](https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/09/15/peza-eyes-opening-of-30-economic-zones-in-metro-manila-this-year/). Colliers noted that existing buildings such as Altaire, Yuchengco Centre, and One Filinvest could pursue accreditation right away, which would add accredited space faster than new construction. Near-term relief will vary by district. Leechiu expects no new buildings in the Makati CBD or Ortigas Center until after 2028. ### What to check before you sign If you need PEZA-registered status, treat accreditation as a fact to confirm in writing, not something to assume. Ask the landlord or operator: 1. Is the building or park proclaimed as a PEZA IT Park or IT Center today, or is the application still pending? 2. If it is pending, what happens to your lease terms and start date if the proclamation is delayed or refused? 3. Who handles your PEZA enterprise registration, and how long is that expected to take? 4. If you are in a flexible or managed office, does the operator's space carry the accreditation, or only the host building? More choice may give tenants more room to negotiate fit-out contributions and terms. No published rent data shows that happening yet, so treat it as a possibility. Provincial expansion is still part of the picture. PEZA says companies that enter through Metro Manila can later expand to Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and other hubs ([Inquirer](https://business.inquirer.net/603148/end-of-ncr-it-park-ban-to-spur-spillover-investment)). Leechiu notes the Philippines hosts about 200 GCCs against more than 2,000 in India ([Outsource Accelerator](https://news.outsourceaccelerator.com/gccs-philippine-office-demand/)). If you are comparing PEZA-accredited options in Metro Manila, the FlySpaces team can shortlist current listings against your headcount and term, and arrange viewings. *Figures last checked 2 Oct 2026. Market data comes from Colliers and Leechiu Property Consultants, and policy details come from PEZA and the Department of Finance as reported in the linked articles.* Tags: [PEZA](https://blog.flyspaces.com/tag/peza) ![](https://blog.flyspaces.com/hubfs/SpacesAsia%20-%20June%202019/author-img.png) ##### [Listerlynn Joy Garingo - De La Serna](https://blog.flyspaces.com/author/joy-garingo-delaserna) Joy Garingo - De La Serna is a Filipino business executive specializing in the real estate, flexible workspace, and Employer of Record (EOR) sectors within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. She is involved in creative ventures and community-centric workspace environments that support local startups, founders, and generational shifts in hybrid work styles. 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