THE Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) is set to add another European country to its growing list of international partners, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said on Friday.
Go did not identify the incoming partner, saying the country will be revealed during the first LEC Investment Forum scheduled for September 10 and 11 in Manila.
‘Last year, we had two partners in the Luzon Economic Corridor, the US and Japan,’ Go said in his keynote speech at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines’ Economic Forum in Manila City.
‘Today, we have eight more partners in the Luzon Economic Corridor . . . And one more European country is set to become the newest addition to the LEC,’ he added.
The latest addition would bring the number of international partners beyond the Philippines, US and Japan to nine, while the LEC’s existing international partners are Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The corridor links Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas, connecting major manufacturing, logistics and trade centers.
The Philippines, US and Japan launched the corridor in April 2024 as the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment corridor in the Indo-Pacific.
The expanded partnership is expected to support infrastructure development through financing, technical assistance and private-sector investment in areas including transport, energy and digital infrastructure.
On the other hand, the upcoming investment forum is expected to bring together around 600 international investors, industry executives, project developers and government officials.
The three founding partners will co-host the event, which will feature infrastructure projects seeking financing and private-sector participation.
Discussions will cover advanced manufacturing, digital connectivity, energy, transportation and logistics, and private capital.
The US Trade and Development Agency, which is sponsoring the forum, said the event will also include project showcases, networking sessions and site visits to prospective projects in Subic Bay, Clark and Batangas.
The agency described the LEC as the country’s main economic corridor, with the four areas accounting for about half of the country’s economy.