Aboitiz InfraCapital peddles Philippines as investment hub in Asia Pacific

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, wants the Philippines to be a major investment hub in Asia Pacific.

AIC joined government agencies in a recently-concluded Japan  business roadshow in Tokyo, which aimed to entice Japanese business leaders and  companies to consider the Philippines as a destination for their expansion prospects.

The government agencies are the Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments (DTI-BOI), Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC - Tokyo), the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and the Department of Energy (DOE).

The Philippine business delegation met with potential investors including members of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI), and the Japan-Philippines Economic Cooperation Committee (JPECC). Businessmen discussed opportunities in the Philippines through AIC and Aboitiz affiliates.

AIC in particular met with over 200 potential investors, jumpstarting discussions for potential investments within its numerous estates in Batangas and Cebu provinces in the Philippines.

At the Philippine Business Forum, Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates head Rafael Fernandez De Mesa showcased AIC’s economic estates in Batangas and Cebu. He discussed the ongoing expansions at LIMA Estate in Lipa-Malvar Batangas and West Cebu Estate in Balamban, Cebu, which sparked interest among the investors in attendance.

The expansions will enable AIC’s Economic Estates to serve the demand from Japanese manufacturers and businesses who are looking to invest in the Philippines, and are expected to stimulate economic activity by generating up to 40,000 jobs.

“Together we have developed a strong and thriving ecosystem attracting leaders of industries in electronics and semiconductor, in automotive components and wire harness, in medical technologies, in printers, motorcycle production, and food and beverage, among many others. We are proud to say that about half of our 150 locators are highly respected Japanese companies who have sought to expand operations in the Philippines,” Fernandez De Mesa said.

According to PEZA, Japan has 962 locators in the Philippines in different industries such as warehousing and storage, metal fabrication, rubber and plastic products, radio, television, and communication equipment and apparatus, and software development.