MANILA - Lilia de Lima on Wednesday announced her retirement as head of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) after heading the agency in charge of the country's export zones.

De Lima will tend to her tree and flower garden after serving as PEZA director general for 21 years, the agency said in a statement.

More than P3 trillion worth of investments across various economic zones entered the country through PEZA since 1995.

Under President Benigno Aquino's six-year term which will end on Thursday, PEZA approved an average of P24 billion in investments every month.