The new Batangas State University-LIMA Campus is being positioned as a key part of LIMA’s long-term plan to attract more investments and support up to 250,000 jobs as the Aboitiz-led economic estate expands beyond manufacturing.
Aboitiz Economic Estates President and CEO Rafael Fernandez de Mesa said LIMA could eventually generate about 250,000 manufacturing jobs, including the 75,000 workers currently employed across companies operating in the estate.
But the jobs outlook is no longer limited to factories.
LIMA’s commercial district is attracting information technology and business process management companies, with LIMA Tower 1 expected to accommodate nearly 4,000 workers once fully operational, up from an initial 1,500.
“As the commercial district goes vertical and those types of industries that go beyond manufacturing are attracted to LIMA, that will have tens of thousands more jobs,” Fernandez de Mesa said.
The estate is also set to expand by another 500 hectares from its current 1,100 hectares, creating additional room for companies, commercial developments, and employment.
Fernandez de Mesa said the BatStateU campus will play a central role in that expansion by strengthening LIMA’s talent pool and making the estate more attractive to investors.
“The purpose of the university is not simply to support the estate’s community,” he said, adding that it is intended to help “attract investment into the Philippines” by strengthening the country’s talent proposition.
The 10-hectare permanent campus is expected eventually to serve tens of thousands of students. Its industry-based learning model will align engineering programs with LIMA’s electronics, semiconductor-related, automotive, and food manufacturing sectors.
BatStateU President Tirso Ronquillo said industry partners will help shape curricula, mentor students, and provide internships, giving graduates practical exposure before entering the workforce.
The campus comes as LIMA seeks to broaden its economic base and attract higher-value industries, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and data-driven businesses.
For the estate, the strategy goes beyond filling current vacancies. By building a steady pipeline of industry-ready talent, LIMA aims to make workforce availability part of its investment proposition.
That could become increasingly important as competition among Philippine economic zones shifts from land and infrastructure toward the ability to supply skilled workers for more sophisticated industries.
