Half of total Phl GDP
The Luzon Economic Corridor connects Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas, an area that USTDA said accounts for about 50 percent of Philippine gross domestic product and serves as a major manufacturing, logistics and trade hub.
Priority sectors include advanced manufacturing, digital connectivity, energy, transportation and logistics.
Projects seeking investors, commercial partners and development support will be presented during the forum, alongside discussions on the country’s investment climate and economic policies.
Participants will also conduct site visits to prospective projects in Subic Bay, Clark and Batangas. Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom are joining the initiative.
“The LEC Investment Forum brings together the United States, Japan, the Philippines and partner nations from across the world around one goal: turning priority projects into commercial reality,” USTDA deputy director Thomas Hardy said.
US tech deployed in Palawan
The announcement came as Washington separately expanded maritime cooperation with Manila through a new facility in Palawan designed to gather reports of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other suspicious activities at sea.
The US Embassy on Thursday launched the Community IUU Fishing Reporting Center in Puerto Princesa City through the Fish Right Project and in partnership with the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.
The facility will receive real-time reports from fishermen on suspected illegal fishing, unusual vessel movements and other illegal maritime activities.
American tech integrated into the reporting system
American technologies, including Starlink satellite connectivity and EarthRanger data visualization software, will be integrated into the reporting system to improve connectivity, organize information and transmit reports to Philippine authorities.
Reports will be forwarded to the appropriate government agencies for validation and possible action, with support from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Maritime Center and Palawan provincial government.
“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is both an economic and a national security challenge,” US Embassy Officer Taylor Fincher said.
Illegal fishing threatens food security
Fincher said illegal fishing depletes fish stocks, threatens food security, disrupts supply chains and disadvantages legitimate fishermen and businesses.
Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther Bayate said the center would give fisherfolk a “safe and accessible” mechanism for reporting suspected illegal fishing and other unlawful maritime activities.
The Fish Right Project specifically supports Philippine efforts against IUU fishing within the country’s exclusive economic zone bordering the South China Sea.
The two initiatives come as Manila and Washington mark 80 years of diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of their Mutual Defense Treaty, with both governments increasingly linking economic development, maritime security and regional resilience to their broader Indo-Pacific partnership.
