Conferences for Emerging Markets and Technologies

Time to Market – Why Execution, Not Strategy, Is the Philippines’ Digital Pivot

AI deployment depends on who can deliver first, not just who plans best

1 month ago 2 min read

Megawide and Evolution Data Centres executives at the 2023 shareholders’ agreement signing – a precursor to their 2024 MoU with Citicore on renewable power for the Philippines’ first hyperscale-ready green data center campus.

While neighboring markets wrestle with permitting delays and grid uncertainty, the Philippines is pushing forward with a new sense of urgency. In the race to support AI infrastructure in Southeast Asia, first-mover advantage is quickly becoming a decisive edge.

In February 2023, Evolution Data Centres and Megawide signed a shareholders’ agreement to co-develop a 69-megawatt campus in Cavite. In December 2024, they secured a landmark memorandum of understanding with Citicore Renewable Energy to deliver 100 megawatts of green baseload power to the site. This makes it the country’s first hyperscale-ready green campus to enter development with power and permits already aligned.

Execution, Not Aspiration, Is the Inflection Point

Momentum is building beyond just one project. Ayala Corporation and Flow Digital Infrastructure topped off their ML1 Laguna facility in September 2024. The 36-megawatt site incorporates dual power feeds, green building compliance, and direct cloud on-ramps. Meanwhile, DITO Telecommunity and Digital Edge are expanding their footprints in Metro Manila.

To support this growth, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority has introduced fast-track clearances and long-term lease incentives for qualified ICT infrastructure projects. In parallel, the Department of Energy has designated 2025–2030 as a strategic period for grid resiliency upgrades and renewables build-out.

On June 10, 2025, the DOE released the Notice of Award (NOA) for the Green Energy Auction 3 (GEA-3), awarding over 6,000 MW of renewable energy projects. The auction included large hydro, solar, and geothermal technologies. The awarded projects are scheduled for installation between 2028 and 2035.

The Real Test: Delivery Certainty

The national target of 1.3 GW in hyperscale-capable data center capacity by 2030 is no longer a distant ambition. It is an active competition. Foreign and domestic players are staking ground, but timelines are unforgiving.

What matters now is delivery. In a market where latency tolerance allows regional distribution, the first operators to offer reliable AI workloads will set the benchmark for ecosystem formation. Execution capability – the ability to align capital, construction, energy, and policy – is the true unlock.

For CEOs, site selection officers, and investment committees, the Philippines is no longer a future market. It’s a proving ground for who can scale fastest, not just smartest.