President Marcos stressed that in the digital age, data is becoming as crucial as water and electricity, emphasizing the need to further the country's digital infrastructure.

Gracing the grand launch of the Philippines' first artificial intelligence (AI)-ready data center built by the PLDT Group in Santa Rosa, Laguna—VITRO Santa Rosa (VSR) Data Center, Marcos recognized the growing need to invest in more digital infrastructure.

"In today’s world, data is as critical as water and electricity. We need to strengthen further our digital infrastructure, especially for critical, private, and confidential data," he said.

"We need to safeguard our digital security. We need to secure our digital future," he added.

The President dubbed the PLDT's mega-infrastructure as an "investment on the future of every Filipino" as it provides essential protection for sensitive data across the public and private sectors.

He further said that the launch of the landmark ICT infrastructure is "a testament to the people-centered future we are building—a Philippines where technology and human connection go hand in hand and exist seamlessly.:

Marcos also said that the new data center proves that the Philippines is future-ready for the digital realm, adding that the new technology development makes the country at par with its neighbors.

"I now would like to add to that and congratulate the Philippines because we now have this incredible facility, which makes us AI ready and definitely in the running to compete with our neighbors and our partners all around the world. And that is a very important achievement," Marcos said in his speech.

"It stands as proof that the Philippines is future-ready for the digital realm. There is some work left to do but we are ready to do that work so we can be an equal player in the world of data and data processing," he added.

Developed by VITRO Inc., a subsidiary of ePLDT under the PLDT Group, was built to support advanced computing needs such as cloud services, high-performance enterprise systems and AI-driven technologies.

With an initial IT capacity of 50 megawatts and over 13,000 square meters of white space, the data center places the Philippines at the forefront of digital innovation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Powered by NVIDIA GPU servers, the facility enables AI adoption at scale. It allows businesses to harness real-time data analytics, automation and next-generation digital tools.

It also promotes sustainability by sourcing 35 percent of its power from renewable energy and using energy-efficient cooling and backup systems.

The VSR site connects with key VITRO hubs in Makati City, Parañaque City and Pasig City through the VITRO Data Center Interconnect (DCI) for seamless network reliability and scalability.

Investment on the future

Emphasizing that the newly-built data center is akin to a warehouse, where instead of boxes of products, it stores digital information such as emails, videos, business records, government files, even apps on a phone, it serves as an investment on Filipinos' future.

"With these efforts of creating a more digitally-connected and energy-aware environment, the inauguration of VSR signals the country’s readiness to attract the world’s largest technology companies and showcase our regional competitiveness in the digital space," Marcos said.

"More than that, this technological development is an investment on the future of every Filipino," he added.

The Chief Executive said those who will benefit from such innovation are Filipino students who study and conduct research online, small business owners who rely on social media and e-commerce, and Filipino workers who live far from their family, counting on technology to bridge that distance.

"This technological infrastructure strengthens connection, not just digitally. It ensures that innovation fosters connection, brings opportunities, and uplifts lives," he said.

He also assured the private sector that his administration will do more in terms of making strides in the digital space.

"But this achievement does not make us complacent. Because we need to do more. We must continue to strive for more. And this is why this Administration is persistently taking deliberate steps to propel us to even greater heights," he said.