The Philippines is reopening Metro Manila to new outsourcing hubs as it tries to defend its place in the global services market and win more complex work from multinational companies. On July 23, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr issued Administrative Order No. 45 (AO 45) allowing the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) to accept and evaluate applications for new information technology parks and centres in the National Capital Region. Peza oversees special economic zones where eligible companies can apply for incentives, making its accreditation an important factor for outsourcing firms and multinational service hubs choosing where to locate. The order partially lifts a 2019 moratorium which aimed to steer more economic activity into the provinces.