Straddling the border of Lipa and Malvar, Batangas sits the aptly named LIMA Estate - a commercial, industrial, and residential hub that is the culmination of decades of expertise in ecozone development by LIMA Land. Now consolidated under Aboitiz InfraCapital, LIMA Estate is undergoing a massive transformation that will bring even more opportunities to Filipinos in the burgeoning CALABARZON region. We hear from Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, head of Aboitiz InfraCapital Economic Estates, about the developments that will make LIMA Estate one of the foremost investment destinations in the country.
One thing that stands out about LIMA Estate is the wealth of experience of Aboitiz in developing Economic Estates. “Aboitiz has been developing industrial anchored estates for 30 years,” says Fernandez de Mesa, starting with estates in Mactan and Balamban in Cebu, and in 2014, expanding to acquire LIMA Estate to mark its first foray into the CALABARZON region. Today, LIMA has been reorganized under Aboitiz InfraCapital to mark the next chapter of its development as an economic hub for the region.
What started out as a 350-hectare estate has now expanded more than two-fold into an immense 800-hectare development. But it’s not just land area that has grown, the number of people working in the estate has tripled from 20,000 to more than 65,000 today, “and we’re projecting 100,000 employees by the end of the decade,” says Fernandez de Mesa.
How does a developer support such massive expansion while continuing to attract the best talent? For Fernandez de Mesa, the key is in creating an all-inclusive, mixed-use estate. “Although industry is the catalyst, we also have complementary components of commercial, residential, institutional, and lifestyle,” says Fernandez de Mesa. Aboitiz InfraCapital has been hard at work catering to the needs of its community, from building The Outlets at Lipa - the largest outdoor mall in Batangas, to supermarkets, and even the largest multi-sport artificial turf field in Luzon.
To solve the commuting woes that plague so many Philippine cities, LIMA Estate has also prioritized transport and mobility from the outset. “We’ve updated the network of sidewalks and open spaces to make them more friendly to cycling and walking,” says Fernandez de Mesa. And the estate is home to two transport terminals that enable the efficient movement of people in and out of the economic zone.
To compete on a regional scale, Fernandez de Mesa underscores the importance of continuous innovation. While Vietnam and Indonesia have received the bulk of foreign investment previously, economic estates like LIMA have put the Philippines on the map due to innovations in technology and sustainability. “We hired a planning firm out of Singapore to create a roadmap for smart technology adoption,” says Fernandez de Mesa, “and we worked with the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) to certify the entire estate.” Two months ago, LIMA Estate received the BERDE-district five-star certification from PHILGBC - the first and largest industrial project ever to have received this distinction.
Further on the sustainability front, LIMA is in the unique position to benefit from its association with Aboitiz Power - one of the leading renewable energy generators in the country. “The estate’s utility company, LIMA Enerzone, draws 21% of its total power generation from renewable energy sources such as geothermal and hydro. In addition, our own developments within LIMA’s Central Business District and a majority of our industrial locators, use solar roof-mounted systems to help cover energy demand. When combined, these efforts produce a total of 17 megawatts of power from solar energy.” says Fernandez de Mesa. Meanwhile, LIMA Water operates a smart water network with sensors to detect and quickly resolve leakages or anomalies in water pressure.
All these efforts have enabled LIMA to attract multinationals such as Epson and Yamaha to set up manufacturing facilities within the estate. Fernandez de Mesa recalls that, even during the height of the pandemic, a Japanese automotive company decided to invest in a facility without ever having visited the site thanks to positive feedback from other companies within the park.
But these tangible features only tell part of the story, ultimately the talent and resilience of Filipinos is the other key factor that keeps attracting companies to invest in places like LIMA. “Our country benefits from an abundant and highly skilled workforce, English proficiency, and productivity,” says Fernandez de Mesa.
What’s next for the estate and Aboitiz InfraCapital?
Aside from all the developments in the pipeline, it’s all about building community to forge connections that will keep attracting people and investment into LIMA, says Fernandez de Mesa. “Whether it’s parks, concerts, food fairs, we make sure that a lot of things are happening to constantly engage people and improve the quality of life for the whole community.”