By Ashley Erika O. Jose, Reporter
THE PHILIPPINES’ data center capability could reach 1.5 gigawatts (GW) by 2028 as more operators, each local and foreign, arrange facilities within the country next 12 months, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.
“We’ll likely reach greater than 1 GW,” ICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of Equinix, Inc.’s data center launch on Wednesday. “The private sector is committing 1.5 GW (by 2028)… It’s a matter of attracting as many corporations as possible to establish here.”
Equinix, a world digital infrastructure company, opened its first data center in Cavite. The ability provides high-speed interconnection services that give enterprises direct access to networks, cloud platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) service providers through a secure private network.
Mr. Aguda said the extra capability is anticipated to are available starting next 12 months, as several foreign hyperscalers and native developers have shown interest in expanding within the Philippines.
The Philippines is becoming a strategic location for data centers, driven by our strong digital economy, improving connectivity and enormous consumer base, the DICT said earlier.
Mr. Aguda said the agency is ready to conduct an investment mission to the US to advertise the country as a knowledge center hub. They seek to draw two or three latest large-scale operators next 12 months, with a combined capability of about 200 megawatts (MW).
The country’s total operational data center capability stands at about 200 MW. He said the momentum is growing, and more developments are expected in the following few years.
VITRO, Inc., the information center unit of the PLDT Group under ePLDT, Inc., is constructing its 12th data center in General Trias, Cavite, which will likely be its biggest so far.
The ability may have a capability of 100 MW — double that of its 50-MW VITRO Sta. Rosa campus in Laguna, now the most important within the country.
Mr. Aguda said power and connectivity is not going to be major issues in supporting the industry’s growth.
“Now we have lots of renewables and LNG (liquefied natural gas), so power is not going to be a serious issue,” he said. On the connectivity side, the Philippines has an expanding fiber backbone and multiple submarine cable links, he added.
The DICT earlier said the Philippines is emerging as one in every of the region’s top data center locations, with strong demand for cloud, fintech, e-commerce and AI services.
Its strategic geographic position, growing pool of digital talent and government initiatives to enhance broadband infrastructure make it increasingly attractive to global operators.