Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV), a diversified portfolio manager of the Aboitiz Group of Companies, said it continues to push development of the country’s rural economy by investing in manufacturing plants that can produce jobs for locals.

The latest addition to its investment roster is the Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP), a state-of-the-art, 42-hectare manufacturing plant at TARI Estate in Tarlac City.

Holding 40 percent shares in CCEAP, AEV said the project underscores the firm’s commitment to shaping the future as the Philippines’ first techglomerate, leveraging its life-essential businesses and technology-driven investments to advance growth, innovation, and community development across the country.

Significant infrastructure investment

AEV president and CEO Sabin Aboitiz stressed that the facility will be one of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ largest manufacturing sites globally and among its most significant infrastructure investments to date, underlining that the landmark project will bring substantial benefits to the region and the country — creating hundreds of local jobs, drawing in complementary industries, and contributing to the Philippines’ GDP growth.

“This new development cements our solid partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. It’s a strategic move: we need to protect and grow Coke’s market share while driving development in local economies. It signals to the market that Central Luzon is ready — ready to lead the next wave of industrial growth in the Philippines,” Aboitiz said.

Most popular brand in the world

“Coca-Cola is everywhere. It’s the most popular brand in the world, sold in more than 200 countries, and enjoyed about 2.2 billion times every single day. The brand appears in over 33 million outlets and claims more than half of the global beverage market,” he added.

For his part, Gareth McGeown, president and CEO of CCEAP, underscored Coca-Cola’s continuing commitment to the Philippines, stating, “This investment and expansion of our operations reflect Coca-Cola’s deep commitment to serving our millions of customers every single day, supporting the Philippines’ growth, and creating meaningful job opportunities for Filipino talent. We are eager to continue working hand in hand with TARI Estate, as we support the local government of Tarlac and its people and economy.”

The plant also marks one of the largest single-locator commitments to date for TARI Estate, developed by Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates, another AEV business unit.