The PLDT Group is moving forward with its largest data center project to date, as construction for the ePLDT VITRO Cavite hyperscale facility in General Trias is slated to begin in 2026. The PHP40-billion (approximately US$1 billion) project, targeted for completion by 2028, represents a major step in positioning the Philippines as a primary AI and data center hub in Southeast Asia.
A Hyperscale Facility for the AI Era
The General Trias facility is designed as a hyperscale data center, meaning it is built to support massive, scalable computing needs for cloud providers, tech giants, and AI applications. With a planned capacity of up to 100 megawatts (MW), it will be the largest data center campus in the ePLDT portfolio. This capacity doubles that of the VITRO Sta. Rosa facility in Laguna, which was inaugurated in 2025 as the country's largest data center at that time.
The project will be developed on a 20-hectare lot owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), with the data center occupying at least 10 hectares of that space. The capacity will be rolled out in five modular phases, starting with 20 MW, allowing for gradual expansion as demand grows.
The PHP40-billion investment aligns with the government's Philippine AI+ Infrastructure Masterplan (PAIIM) 2033, which targets building 1.5 gigawatts of AI-ready data center capacity and attracting approximately $30 billion in digital infrastructure investments. The DICT has also noted that the masterplan could generate 500,000 AI-related jobs and contribute a potential 10% to 12% uplift in GDP.
Strategic Location and National Ambitions
The choice of General Trias, Cavite, is strategic for multiple reasons. The city is rapidly developing as an industrial and logistics hub, home to the Gateway Business Park and ranking among the most competitive cities in the Calabarzon Region. The location also leverages the PLDT Group's extensive fiber network, ensuring high network reliability with at least three fiber routes from PLDT and other telecommunications providers.
PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan has emphasized the company's commitment to making the Philippines a regional data center hub, stating the need to match the capacity of neighboring countries like Malaysia. "We have to be at least equal to the capacity of Malaysia… You have our pledge to make the Philippines a data center hub," he said during the inauguration of the VITRO Sta. Rosa facility.
PLDT is also preparing to list VITRO Inc. on the Philippine Stock Exchange, filing for a PHP24.2-billion initial public offering to turn the data center unit into a real estate investment trust (REIT). This move would make VITRO the first digital infrastructure REIT in the Philippines and provide fresh funds for expansion.
