US boosts Subic port, Philippine digital infrastructure

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has announced that the United States is set to provide support for the improvement of key port facilities in Subic Bay and the establishment of a nationwide network of public Wi-Fi access points.

According to USTDA head Thomas Hardy, the new projects signed during the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investment Forum in Taguig City form part of Washington, D.C.’s continuing support for the economic growth of the Philippines and the LEC.

"These activities represent very different sectors, but they share a common purpose: attracting investment into high-quality infrastructure projects while creating opportunities for trusted partners and technologies to contribute to Philippines' growth," he said.

The new funding will expand berth and dry dock capacity for ship repairs in Subic Bay and cover the pilot deployment of artificial intelligence-enhanced Wi-Fi access points across the Philippines.

On top of these, Hardy disclosed that the USTDA is in the "final stages of concluding" the final report for the development of a nickel-cobalt processing facility in the country.

The USTDA-financed feasibility study for the Subic-Clark-Batangas-Manila railway, he added, is likewise close to completion and will soon be submitted to the Department of Transportation.

"These are designed to have tangible impacts on both economic growth for the country, but also job creation here in the country, and doing it in a way that more closely ties the United States and the Philippines together," he said.

The LEC Investment Forum, attended by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., brought together more than 600 investors, industry leaders and government officials to mobilize private-sector investment and accelerate commercial partnerships in transportation, energy, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing supply chains.

It featured several deal signings, project pitches and discussions focused on improving connectivity, strengthening supply chains and unlocking private investment across the LEC.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton, who led the U.S. delegation, described the forum as a demonstration of the Trump administration’s strong commitment to creating new opportunities for American companies and advancing mutual prosperity for the United States, the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific region.

"The United States is all-in on the Luzon Economic Corridor because it’s good for the Philippines and good for America. It means more investment, stronger supply chains, and high-quality jobs in both our countries," he said.

During the event, the U.S. and the Philippines also signed the $60 million Philippines Energy Threshold Program through the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

The new grant, approved last July, will support energy reform in the country and modernize the Energy Regulatory Commission.

The LEC, led by the Philippines, U.S. and Japan, is a partnership that accelerates coordinated investment to create jobs and facilitate growth in the broader Luzon region, with a focus on transportation and logistics, energy, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing.

The corridor stretches from Subic Bay and Clark through Manila to Batangas — a region representing 50 percent of the Philippines’ GDP.