Subic Bay Freeport – The United States Embassy delegation for the Luzon Economic Corridor Steering Committee visited this premier Freeport on May 13, 2026, seeking to create more investment opportunities.
US Ambassador Heather Variava, Senior Advisor for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs, and Head of Delegation for the committee, together with several representatives of the US economic team, arrived here as part of the mission to work on US-Philippines growth through a series of coordination with government officials and business leaders.
The ambassador met with officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), led by Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño, to discuss economic growth efforts for the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC).
The LEC is a multi-billion-dollar economic partnership designed to supercharge infrastructure, logistics, and supply-chain connectivity between four primary hubs in the Philippines: Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas.
Chairman Aliño said that the trilateral initiative with the US, Japan, and the Philippines has now expanded to include Australia, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
“This ambitious venture will strengthen infrastructure, supply chains, and green energy across Subic, Clark, Manila, and Batangas. It is most timely that Her Excellency Heather Variava and her delegation visit us now, as the Luzon Economic Corridor gains momentum through international partnerships and expanded economic engagement,” he added.
The SBMA top official said that with upcoming projects in railway connectivity, port modernization, clean energy, and semiconductor supply chains, “Subic Bay’s role as a premier logistics and manufacturing hub grows even stronger.”
Initially launched in April 2024 as a trilateral project between the Philippines, the United States, and Japan under the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), the initiative has rapidly scaled into a powerful 10-nation coalition.
The said visit is part of her travel to coordinate strategic infrastructure and investments alongside the Philippine government and business leaders, as the ambassador advocates for streamlining complex regulations to increase investor confidence.
Variava is currently coordinating economic growth efforts for the Corridor to counter exploitative regional infrastructure programs with sustainable alternatives. (Malou Dungog)
