President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has cleared the expansion of the Aboitiz-backed West Cebu Industrial Park–Special Economic Zone (WCIP-SEZ), approving the addition of seven new land parcels that widen the zone’s footprint in Balamban, Cebu.
Through Proclamation No. 1105 signed on December 4, Malacañang authorized the inclusion of a combined 69,490 square meters of property—two titled parcels in Barangay Arpili and five in Barangay Buanoy—into the existing economic zone. The move strengthens WCIP-SEZ’s position as a major industrial hub in the Visayas, anchored by manufacturing, shipbuilding, and export-oriented operations.
The expansion remains subject to the rules of the Special Economic Zone Act of 1995 (RA 7916), as amended, as well as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s policy framework under Board Resolution No. 22-117.
Operated by Cebu Industrial Park Developers, Inc.—a joint venture between the Aboitiz Group and Japan’s Tsuneishi Group—the WCIP-SEZ spans roughly 540 hectares of mixed-use industrial and commercial space. Tsuneishi Heavy Industries, one of Asia’s largest shipbuilders, continues to be the estate’s anchor locator and a major employment driver for western Cebu.
Industry watchers say the additional land signals continued investor confidence in Balamban’s transformation from a quiet coastal town into a globally integrated manufacturing center.
The expansion also positions the zone to attract more advanced manufacturing and maritime-related enterprises amid rising interest in Philippine economic zones.
For local stakeholders, Marcos’ approval represents both continuity and momentum. With Cebu’s industrial corridor growing steadily, the extra land parcels give WCIP-SEZ room to scale up its logistics, fabrication, and engineering ecosystem—an advantage as the country courts more foreign direct investment in the region.
