The Philippines is making a coordinated push to attract Chinese manufacturers, positioning itself as a cost-effective, investor-ready hub in Southeast Asia—with government agencies and private developers like Aboitiz InfraCapital leading a rare unified campaign.

In a high-level investment mission to Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the industrial estate operator joined forces with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) to promote the country’s ecozones to Chinese firms seeking resilient and scalable locations in the region. The delegation also supported the launch of the Greater Bay Area High-Level Dialogue, backed by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China and other regional stakeholders.

“This mission reflects what we believe is the Philippines’ greatest competitive advantage: alignment between government and the private sector,” said Rafael Fernandez De Mesa, head of Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates. “We are proud to work alongside these institutions to shape globally competitive investment environments—where industries can thrive, partnerships can flourish, and growth can be shared.”

China remains a leading source of foreign investment in the Philippines, accounting for 22% of total inflows. PEZA-registered Chinese firms have generated over $406 million in exports and created more than 16,000 jobs to date, according to government data.

With a network spanning more than 2,000 hectares across Luzon and the Visayas, Aboitiz InfraCapital’s industrial estates—including LIMA Estate in Batangas, TARI Estate in Tarlac, and West Cebu Estate—have collectively attracted over P167 billion in capital and host over 100,000 jobs.

At the center of its pitch is a vertically integrated support system. Aboitiz InfraCapital offers industrial land bundled with services such as utilities, construction, workforce housing, and digital estate management—leveraging the broader Aboitiz Group’s portfolio that includes AboitizPower, UnionBank, and Aboitiz Data Innovation. All its operating estates are 5-Star BERDE District Certified, aligning with environmental and operational efficiency standards.

Monica Lorenzana Trajano, vice president for commercial strategy at Aboitiz InfraCapital, emphasized the long-term value proposition for Chinese investors. “With us, investors gain more than a location—they gain a trusted partner,” she said. “We enable businesses to scale efficiently, help communities prosper, and build long-term partnerships that matter.”

Government officials say reforms under the CREATE MORE law (Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy Act) and infrastructure investments under the “Build Better More” program are helping lower business costs and improve logistics efficiency.

Whether those efforts will be enough to shift Chinese manufacturing interest remains to be seen, as competition across Southeast Asia intensifies and companies weigh trade-offs in cost, scale, and stability.