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LEC Investors Forum draws some 600 global investors, as Marcos pitches Philippines as Indo-Pacific investment hub
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Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight railway and Subic Bay ship repair facility expansion anchor the logistics push
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Partnership grows to 13 countries as EU and Spain formally join, pledging transport and digital support
The inaugural Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investors Forum wrapped up on Sept. 11, drawing some 600 global investors as the Philippines, US, and Japan pushed logistics projects to the center of the pitch for foreign capital. The two-day forum, hosted through the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), aimed to turn the trilateral initiative into bankable deals across the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas corridor, which generates roughly half of Philippine GDP.
Addressing the forum, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said the LEC goes beyond individual projects: “The LEC is not simply a collection of infrastructure projects. It is our strategy for organizing growth,” he said, adding that “we are improving the movement of people and goods across the Corridor. This will reduce costs, support manufacturing and trade, and help Filipino enterprises reach larger markets.”
The corridor’s longstanding flagship logistics project, the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway, already carries P215.3 million in USTDA technical assistance. New at the forum: Spain, a new LEC partner, pledged railway and shipbuilding expertise, with the Subic-Batangas segment now eyed for construction start in 2027.
At Subic Bay, USTDA funding will expand a key ship repair facility, while a $60-million Philippines Energy Threshold Program with the US aims to lower power costs for manufacturers.
READ: USTDA funds study to extend Subic Drydock’s pier
Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Joshua Bingcang, speaking ahead of the event, said the LEC’s success hinges on “linking ports, airports, talent, infrastructure, and industries,” citing New Clark City and Clark Freeport Zone as logistics anchors. Clark Development Corp. president Agnes Devanadera said Clark now offers “ultra red carpet services” for LEC investors.
The LEC partnership expanded to 13 members with EU and Spain’s entry. Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the forum aimed for “better infrastructure, stronger connectivity and supply chains, more investment, more jobs,” with the $70-billion Pax Silica hub in New Clark City among the flagship projects pitched to investors.
READ: Pax Silica and the Luzon Economic Corridor: Why Cargo Can’t Move Until the Rules Do
Pax Silica and Luzon Economic Corridor: What Customs and Transport Rules Still Need to Be Written
Pax Silica and Luzon Economic Corridor: Operational Steps, Pitfalls, Logistics Gains
