Canada joins expanded Luzon corridor pact

MANILA, Philippines – Canada is now the 11th member of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative, enhancing support for infrastructure projects in the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas growth belt.

On Wednesday, the US Embassy in Manila announced that Canada committed to provide P89 million in technical assistance for a joint project identified with the Philippines.

READ: 7 more countries join Luzon corridor pact

This support, the embassy added, would “connect potential Canadian investors to the LEC.”

The LEC now has 11 members: the original tripartite partners—Philippines, United States, and Japan—and new entrants Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

In a joint statement released after a May 12 meeting of the LEC Steering Committee, the Philippines, the United States and Japan said the initiative had made “substantial progress” across its priority sectors.

The three government underscored efforts to position the corridor as a “critical node” in trusted global technology supply chains through digital connectivity and advanced manufacturing projects linked to the Pax Silica initiative, which the Philippines joined in April.

During the meeting of the steering committee, which Finance Secretary Frederick Go co-chairs, the Philippines presented legal and regulatory reforms that aim to create a more transparent and competitive investment environment.

The new partners likewise discussed the challenges and reform priorities that are needed to attract more private investment into the corridor.

To mobilize more private capital, the three governments announced plans to hold the inaugural LEC Investor Forum in Manila on September 10 to 11.

The meeting will focus on building public-private partnerships across the priority sectors of energy, transportation and logistics, digital connectivity, and advanced manufacturing.

READ: More countries drawn to dev’t of Luzon Economic Corridor

Formed in April 2024, the LEC is part of the Group of Seven’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, an international funding initiative backed by G7 economies: the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

With the partnership’s expansion, the trilateral partners said they expect the LEC to further strengthen its role in the Indo-Pacific.

“Their participation brings substantial expertise, capabilities, and investment capacity that will accelerate progress and broaden the corridor’s strategic impact,” the statement read. “This expanded partnership reflects growing international recognition of the LEC’s importance to regional economic architecture and supply chain resilience.” /pai