By Emmie V. Abadilla Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) raised its capital expenditure this year by 65 percent to P81 billion, mostly for power and infrastructure projects, to sustain its long-term growth. AboitizPower’s 2019 capex is set at P51 billion, about 80 percent of which is for baseload projects ーmainly for the construction of GNPower Dinginin Power Plants ー while the balance is allocated for exploratory and operating activities. AboitizPower believes that it is well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities arising from developments in the power industry. On the other hand, Aboitiz InfraCapital is allotting P16 billion in capex, reflecting the group’s recent infrastructure-related investments and initiatives. A huge chunk of its capex is for the construction of Apo Agua’s Bulk Water Project facilities in Davao City. Aboitiz InfraCapital remains committed to participating in the Philippine infrastructure space and contributing to the nation’s development. Republic Cement has also been investing in capacity expansion and debottlenecking effort. “The Philippines is in a sweet spot in our economic cycle, expanding 6.2 percent in GDP (gross domestic product) growth in 2018," Erramon I. Aboitiz, AEV President and Chief Executive Officer. "This 2019, AEV expects the Philippines to record a GDP growth rate of 6.8 percent due to election spending and public and private construction, supported by strong and continuing public expenditures on various infrastructure development projects,” he pointed out. “This is why we are quite confident in our capex program for the year. In the long term, we expect our economic growth to continue at a higher rate, providing our businesses a platform to continue advancing business and communities,” Aboitiz added. Meanwhile, UnionBank will spend P2 billion for its ongoing digital and branch transformation initiatives. Pilmico Foods Corporation, the Aboitiz Group’s flour and feeds business, has earmarked P6 billion for various capacity expansions. The acquisition of Gold Coin Management Holdings in 2018 has effectively expanded Pilmico and the Aboitiz Group’s footprint in the ASEAN region and across the Asia-Pacific market. Growth in the coming years is expected to be driven by project developments through capacity expansion and strategic acquisitions. AboitizLand, for its part, has allocated P6 billion for its projects in Lipa City and Pampanga, among other sites, in addition to the expansion of its land bank.