Philippines to host inaugural Luzon corridor forum in push for allied AI, tech capital

The Philippines is looking to accelerate foreign capital inflows through the inaugural investment forum for the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), which will showcase key opportunities, including the proposed Pax Silica artificial intelligence (AI) hub. In a statement, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) said it will lead the first LEC investment forum in Manila from Sept. 10 to 11 to promote major projects under the multilateral initiative. “The LEC investment forum brings together the US, Japan, the Philippines, and partner nations from across the world around one goal: turning priority projects into commercial reality while advancing our collective vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said USTDA Deputy Director Thomas Hardy. Launched in 2024, the LEC was established as a joint effort among the Philippines, the US, and Japan to boost connectivity and generate economic activity along Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas. The partnership has since expanded to include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The LEC aims to foster coordinated investments in projects across critical sectors, including transportation, energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Among these projects is the proposed AI industrial hub in New Clark City, designed to accelerate investments in advanced manufacturing for key AI inputs, such as semiconductors. The hub is being developed under the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, which aims to unite allied nations to secure global AI supply chains and counter China’s dominance in the sector. In transportation, the LEC is pursuing the establishment of the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas (SCMB) Railway, which will serve as the initiative's primary logistics backbone. Also included in the infrastructure push are the development of the North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR)—connecting Calamba to Clark—and the Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA). In the energy sector, the LEC is exploring the potential integration of nuclear power into the national energy mix, the deployment of advanced energy systems, and other projects to address energy security vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, the initiative is assessing prospects to strengthen digital connectivity through subsea cables and expand services to underserved areas. The USTDA said the forum will gather around 600 foreign investors, industry leaders, project developers, and government officials to highlight bankable infrastructure projects. The event will feature keynote remarks, panel discussions, project showcases, networking sessions, and site visits to prospective project locations in Subic Bay, Clark, and Batangas.