Cebu Industrial Park Developers Inc., a joint venture of the Aboitiz Group and Tsuneishi Group of Japan, is expanding West Cebu Industrial Park to generate 5,000 new jobs by end of 2022.
It recently landed Advanced Catamaran Composites, its third shipbuilding firm, which is targeting to start operations in the first quarter of 2021.
“We are excited to have Advanced Catamaran Composites as our newest locator in the West Cebu Industrial Park. With our 30 hectare expansion set to break ground next year, we are hoping to attract more locators to Balamban,” said Eduardo Aboitiz, vice president for business development of the Aboitiz Integrated Economic Centers.
WCIP is a 540-hectare mixed-use development in Balamban, Cebu which is anchored by a 283-hectare Philippine Economic Zone Authority-registered zone that has complementary commercial, institutional and residential components.
It hosts 11 locators from medium to heavy industries, some of which are the biggest shipbuilding firms in the world, making Balamban the “Shipbuilding Capital of the Philippines”.
Like other Aboitiz Integrated Economic Centers, WCIP is thoughtfully planned and masterfully designed so people can work, live, and play within a secure, interconnected and engaging environment
Aboitiz Group said with the proposed new development, WCIP was set to grow by an additional 30 hectares over the next three years. It will allow for more industrial spaces, commercial centers, transport terminals, dormitories and even leisure components for tourists.
New locators and businesses that will be brought in are expected to yield up to 5,000 new jobs for the community, it said.
“Our vision is to transform WCIP into a fully-integrated economic center that will spur further economic growth in the area, similar to our two developments in LIMA Estate in Batangas and Mactan Economic Zone II in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu,” said Rafael Fernandez De Mesa, Aboitiz first vice president for operations for Aboitiz Integrated Economic Centers.
“With its strategic location, skilled population, lower cost of doing business, and well-established ecosystem of infrastructure, we believe that WCIP is the ideal location for light, medium, and heavy industries looking to expand or locate in Cebu,” said De Mesa.
Aboitiz Group said CIPDI was in talks with several potential locators amid the pandemic for the last few lots in WCIP’s existing inventory. These are among the only PEZA-proclaimed inventory left in Cebu.
WCIP is strategically located in the west side of Cebu, known to be a major industrial belt with its proximity to various access points. It is accessible by land via the Transcentral Highway and South Coastal Road via Manipis Road or Naga City from the province’s capital, as well as sea through a private shipping port for common logistics support.
“At Aboitiz, we are committed to making lasting partnerships with our locators by ensuring the ease of doing business and providing them with fully integrated solutions of infrastructure services such as power, water, and land. WCIP is only set to grow further, and now is the perfect time to invest here,” Eduardo Aboitiz said.
Balamban, Cebu was a simple coastal town in 1992 which transformed into a first-class municipality when CIPDI began operations in the area to develop WCIP.
The initial success of WCIP enabled the estate to grow from 202 to 540 hectares. More than 14,000 skilled workers are employed by industrial and commercial locators. The expansion hopes to continue WCIP’s growth story and turn Balamban into a vibrant city.
As a special economic zone, import and export businesses in WCIP enjoy tax incentives and other privileges. It also offers a secure location and ease of doing business.