By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
ABOITIZ INFRACAPITAL, Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure subsidiary of the Aboitiz group, said it expects up to 25 new locators in its LIMA Estate in Batangas, from sectors such as electronics, automotive, and consumer goods manufacturing.
“Right now, we have about 120 operating locators, and about 20 to 25 more in different stages of construction,” Monica L. Trajano, vice-president for Business Development of Economic Estates, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates Industrial Summit 2025, a forum held last week.
“There are still over a hundred hectares in various stages of development, with locators coming in to construct and build.”
LIMA Estate is an 826-hectare (ha) mixed-use development owned by the Aboitiz group. It hosts about 4,000 households and is registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
Last year, AIC began its 40-ha expansion of LIMA Estate’s business hub, which will include commercial, retail, residential, and mixed-use spaces. It is slated for completion by 2027.
“In LIMA, because we’ve been consolidating land over the last 10 years, generally, we [bring to the] market between 50 to 100 hectares of industrial land per year,” Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, chief executive officer at Aboitiz Land, Inc., told reporters on the sidelines of the event.
“So, we anticipate that to continue for the next ten years.”
For its West Cebu Estate, the company has about 20 ha left in its 40-ha expansion plans, Mr. De Mesa said.
The 540-ha West Cebu Estate is dubbed the shipbuilding capital of the Philippines, AIC said. As of December last year, the estate hosts 25 locator companies from medium to heavy industries, generating over 14,908 jobs.
Mr. De Mesa also said a major food company is looking to set up in TARI Estate, AIC’s economic estate in Tarlac. The firm will take up 40 ha and plans to start construction this year.
Across its economic estates, about 70% of its locators are exporters, and 30% are domestic firms. By nationality, 60% are foreign, with Japan remaining the top investor.
“You also have local companies that have found a way to form part of the supply chain of these foreign exporters. So, they’re producing components that are utilized in the end products of these exporters,” Mr. De Mesa noted.
The Philippines remains a potential investment destination due to its strategic location and highly skilled workforce, he also said.
The company is also eyeing pharmaceutical locators and data centers in its economic zones, Mr. De Mesa said.
“We continue to look for opportunities, not just to expand those (economic estates), but to expand to new footprints. Our focus today is primarily on Luzon, but we’re also quite interested in the Visayas as well.”
Despite recent geopolitical uncertainties, including the US’ new tariff policy, it is “business as usual” for AIC, according to Ms. Trajano.
“I think what we’re seeing for us is still heightened interest, which is business as usual for us,” she said. “While it’s increased the calls and inquiries that are coming in, I think it’s status quo for us.”
To entice more investors into its economic estates, Ms. Trajano cited the need to focus on improving the ease of doing business, infrastructure readiness, transparency, sustainability, and workforce solutions.
“Our bigger purpose when we develop these estates is to really send a message out to global investors that the Philippines is a reliable and conducive hub for investment,” she said at the forum.
A key step toward sustainability is adopting green building standards. However, many companies are still hesitant to adopt green building standards due to the impression that they are expensive, said Christopher C. De La Cruz, chief executive officer at the Green Building Council.
“A shift of mindset from seeing green buildings as a cost to seeing them as an investment is critical,” he told the panel.
