Indo-Pacific Infrastructure group launches Philippine platform

MANILA, Philippines — The Coalition for Emerging Market Infrastructure Investment has met with Philippine government officials for the launch of its inaugural country platform aimed at catalyzing infrastructure investments in the Philippines, particularly in the energy sector.

In a statement, the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Prosperity (IP3), the convenor of the coalition, said the Philippines platform brings together governments, private sector leaders, and other key stakeholders over a dedicated two-year work program to explore innovative strategies to increase infrastructure investment and build a sustainable pipeline of infrastructure projects.

“In the launch meeting, the coalition and the Philippine government representatives agreed to establish an ambitious roadmap to enable support for investment needs in infrastructure across the Philippines,” the IP3 said.

The launch meeting was led by coalition co-chairs Matt Harris, founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock, and Joe Bae, co-CEO of KKR.

Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go, along with additional key government representatives, and US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo were also in attendance.

“This week’s launch meeting with the Philippine government represented a momentous step in establishing an innovative and collaborative roadmap that will support our shared mission to drive infrastructure investment in the Philippines,” Harris said.

In September, the coalition announced that the Philippines would be the initial focus of the platforms dedicated to catalyzing infrastructure investment across Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) emerging economies.

IP3 executive director David Talbot said earlier that the Philippines is an ideal market to initiate this effort, given its rapid growth in energy demand and ambitious renewables targets.

Estimates from the OECD show that the Philippines requires a cumulative investment of over $300 billion between 2024 and 2040 to deliver a clean energy transition that supports prosperity and economic growth.

“The coalition is thrilled to work with our Philippine partners to launch this new platform, which will deploy the private sector investment needed to meet key infrastructure demands,” Talbot said.

For his part, Go expressed delight in the Philippines being chosen as the initial focus country.

“This decision affirms President Marcos’ commitment to modernizing regulations to attract foreign investment. The Philippine government looks forward to working with private sector leaders to carry out our ambitious infrastructure development goals,” Go said.

Launched at the June IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum in Singapore, the Coalition for Emerging Market Infrastructure Investment was created to support Indo-Pacific emerging economies in achieving their economic development, human capital and sustainability goals through the identification, promotion and development of successful infrastructure projects throughout the region.