Existing industrial estates can speed Luzon investments

The Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) can translate improved connectivity into actual investments faster by tapping industrial estates that already have the land, utilities, workers and facilities needed by companies, Aboitiz Economic Estates said.

The company made the assessment following a visit by a United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) delegation to LIMA Estate in Batangas, highlighting the role of established industrial hubs in supporting the corridor’s investment ambitions.

LIMA Estate spans about 1,100 hectares and hosts more than 200 locators employing around 75,000 workers.

Locator investments in the estate have reached about P129 billion.

“The Luzon Economic Corridor is a major opportunity to strengthen the Philippines as a manufacturing and investment platform,” Aboitiz Economic Estates President and CEO Rafael Fernandez de Mesa said.

“To realize that ambition, connectivity must be matched by industrial capacity, talent and operating capability. Existing estates such as LIMA Estate can help strengthen that foundation, supporting long-term national competitiveness while giving ready investors a platform to establish and grow as the corridor continues to develop,” he added.

Aboitiz Economic Estates said investors need more than roads and logistics links to begin operations. Access to reliable utilities, skilled workers, estate services and industrial-ready sites can shorten the process from investment decision to actual production.

LIMA Estate also hosts the Batangas State University-LIMA Campus, linking engineering education with industry requirements and helping strengthen the manufacturing talent pipeline.

The company also operates TARI Estate in Tarlac, providing another industrial platform with access to Clark and Subic.

“The corridor becomes more competitive when we connect what the government is building with industrial ecosystems that are already working,” Fernandez de Mesa said.