The Luzon Economic Corridor is fast becoming the centerpiece of deepening economic ties among the US, Japan, and the Philippines, a senior U.S. diplomat said Tuesday, underscoring its role in reshaping regional supply chains and crowding in private capital.
Speaking at a trilateral panel convened by the U.S.-Philippines Society at The Peninsula Manila, a.i. Y Robert Ewing, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Manila, described economic cooperation as a core pillar of the three-nation partnership.
He pointed to the April 2024 launch of the Luzon Economic Corridor—the first Indo-Pacific economic corridor under the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment—as a turning point. The initiative prioritizes transport, energy, and digital innovation to boost connectivity and unlock growth across Luzon.
Projects are already taking shape. Japan’s North-South Commuter Railway and the U.S.-backed Subic–Clark–Manila–Batangas freight railway aim to streamline logistics, link ports to industrial hubs, and reduce supply chain bottlenecks.
Together, the projects are expected to generate jobs and strengthen the Philippines’ position in regional and global trade networks.
But the corridor extends beyond steel and concrete. Ewing cited the launch of the Open Radio Access Network Laboratory at the University of the Philippines, developed with Japan, as a step toward more secure and resilient digital infrastructure. He also flagged U.S. support for workforce training tied to the Philippines’ civil nuclear ambitions and enhanced cyber defense capabilities.
Ewing stressed that the corridor is designed to attract private investment into high-growth sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital infrastructure, and liquefied natural gas.
“Ultimately, the private sector will unlock new engines of economic growth,” he said.
