Philippines considers Bulacan hub for AI hardware assembly and exports
The long-term proposal would combine an economic zone with airport access to assemble regional components and send finished equipment to overseas markets.
The Philippines is considering a long-term plan to assemble and export artificial intelligence computing equipment from Bulacan, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said at the 2026 FINEX Conference in Pasay City. The proposal forms part of an industrial strategy extending beyond the planned Pax Silica hub in New Clark City.
Rodolfo said the concept would use the Bulacan Special Economic Zone and Freeport, overseen by the Bulacan Economic Zone Authority (BEZA), together with nearby New Manila International Airport (NMIA). Components from regional suppliers, including Singapore and Malaysia, would be brought together locally for assembly into equipment such as server racks.
The proposed operation would also integrate, test and validate the products before sending them by air to overseas markets. Rodolfo described the idea as a longer-term possibility rather than an immediate project.
The plan would partly depend on NMIA's development. San Miguel Aerocity Inc. is building the ₱740 billion airport in Bulakan, Bulacan, with operations set to begin in 2028. Once completed, it is targeted to handle 100 million passengers annually.
Bulacan is being considered as the fifth node of the country's industrial push, focused on global connectivity and distribution for AI. The other four cover advanced manufacturing in New Clark City, integrated circuit design, critical minerals and mineral processing, and AI computing infrastructure, including data centres.
