Meralco showcases Philippines as future-ready hub for hyperscalers

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March 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is showing serious momentum in its drive to go digital, tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan said, highlighting his power company’s readiness to support hyperscale data centers.

Pangilinan, chairman of power giant Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), said the ability to supply electricity to hyperscalers hinges on infrastructure availability, readiness and consistency, as well as legal frameworks that ensure data sovereignty.

These factors, he noted, strongly suggest “this country is serious about going digital.”

Pangilinan stressed that one group alone could not pursue such undertaking, calling for stronger partnership between the public and private sectors.

“We need coordinated action across the energy and telco sectors, collaboration between government and industry and sustained alignment between policy and design implementation,” Pangilinan said.

Meralco officials recently took part in a high-level dialogue, underscoring the Philippines’ push to position itself as a viable hub for hyperscale data centers and other energy-intensive digital investments.

In its white paper, the country’s largest power utility outlined how hyperscale investors can achieve competitive power rates through the retail competition and open access (RCOA) program, alongside tax incentives under the CREATE MORE Act.

RCOA enables power end-users with an average monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts to choose their preferred suppliers, while CREATE MORE offers an income tax holiday and other incentives to registered entities.

For Meralco, these perks are crucial as the Philippines rapidly emerges as a regional hub for hyperscale data centers, fueled by strong investor confidence and a steadily expanding pipeline of projects.

“For years, the long-standing narrative that the Philippines has the highest power rates in the region has been one of the biggest barriers to investment. But that context is changing, and the reality today is very different,” Meralco head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said.