Table of Contents
Key Takeaway
- 🏭 Scale: PLDT’s data center arm Vitro Inc. is eyeing a 100+ megawatt facility in southern Luzon — potentially the largest PLDT data center and the largest in the Philippines
- 💰 Investment: Estimated cost of ₱40 billion (approximately $1 billion), built on a 20-hectare lot in General Trias, Cavite owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp.
- 🎯 Vision: PLDT Chair Manuel Pangilinan aims for 500 MW total capacity — matching Malaysia and making the Philippines a regional data center hub
- 🤖 AI-Ready: The new PLDT data center will be optimized for AI and high-performance computing workloads, joining Vitro’s existing 62.4 MW across nine facilities
- ⚡ Timeline: Blueprint finalization in 2026, construction starting 2026, completion expected by 2028 in five phases of 20 MW each
The PLDT data center strategy just took its biggest leap yet. On August 17, 2026, PLDT Inc. announced that its data center arm Vitro Inc. is looking at southern Luzon as the site for its next expansion — a facility that could become the largest PLDT data center ever built and the largest in the Philippines. PLDT Chair Manuel V. Pangilinan confirmed that the company has already presented potential sites to its board. The planned facility would add to Vitro’s existing capacity of approximately 62.4 megawatts across nine data centers nationwide.
The announcement marks a turning point for Philippine digital infrastructure. A 100 MW PLDT data center is not just another facility — it is a statement that the Philippines intends to compete with regional data center leaders like Malaysia and Singapore. The timing aligns with the global AI infrastructure surge, where demand for high-performance computing capacity is driving unprecedented data center investment across Asia.
The Numbers Behind the PLDT Data Center Expansion
According to Victor Genuino, president and CEO of ePLDT and Vitro, the new PLDT data center will be “no less than 100 MW.” The estimated cost is ₱40 billion (approximately $1 billion), and the facility will be built on at least half of a 20-hectare lot in General Trias, Cavite. The property is owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp., PLDT’s parent company.
The PLDT data center expansion comes in five phases of 20 MW each, with construction expected to start in 2026 and completion by 2028. The facility will be strategically located in southern Luzon, close to Vitro’s existing 50 MW Sta. Rosa data center in Laguna province. That proximity is intentional — PLDT envisions Vitro Sta. Rosa as a data center hub, with the new facility extending the cluster.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Target capacity | 100+ MW (minimum) |
| Estimated cost | ₱40 billion (~$1 billion) |
| Land area | 10+ hectares of a 20-hectare lot |
| Location | General Trias, Cavite (southern Luzon) |
| Construction phases | 5 phases × 20 MW |
| Expected completion | 2028 |
| Existing Vitro capacity | 62.4 MW across 9 data centers |
| Long-term goal | 500 MW total |
Why Southern Luzon — and Why Now
The choice of southern Luzon is not accidental. Baxtel reports that the new PLDT data center will be built in Laguna province near the company’s existing Vitro Sta. Rosa facility. The Vitro Sta. Rosa data center, launched as the first AI-ready hyperscale facility in the Philippines, offers 50 MW of initial IT capacity and over 13,000 square meters of white space.
“I think our next data center will have to be in Luzon. It has to be South Luzon because we envisioned Vitro Santa Rosa to be the hub,” Genuino said. The clustering strategy allows PLDT to share infrastructure — power substations, fiber connectivity, cooling systems — across multiple facilities, reducing per-megawatt costs.
The timing is driven by demand. Globe Telecom, PLDT’s competitor, has also signaled ballooning data center demand, and international players like Equinix have already entered the Philippine market. The race to build AI-ready infrastructure is not hypothetical — it is happening now, and PLDT is positioning the new facility to capture hyperscaler demand from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services.
The 500 MW Vision — Matching Malaysia
Pangilinan’s ambition extends well beyond a single facility. “We do intend to expand our data center capability for up to 500 MW. We have to be at least equal to the capacity of Malaysia… to make the Philippines a data center hub,” he said, according to Light Reading.
The 500 MW target would place the Philippines on par with Malaysia’s data center capacity and position the country as a serious alternative to Singapore, which imposed a moratorium on new data center construction from 2019 to 2022 before cautiously lifting it. Singapore’s restrictions pushed data center investment to Johor, Malaysia, and Jakarta, Indonesia. The Philippines has yet to capture a comparable share of that displaced demand.
The PLDT data center expansion is also connected to the Pax Silica AI hub initiative, which aims to build AI infrastructure in New Clark City. Together, the PLDT data center expansion and Pax Silica represent the two largest AI infrastructure bets in Philippine history. The question is whether the workforce and ecosystem will be ready when the facilities come online.
What Makes a PLDT Data Center “AI-Ready”
The new PLDT data center will be optimized for AI and high-performance computing workloads — a critical distinction from traditional data centers. AI-ready facilities require significantly higher power density per rack (often 30-50 kW per rack vs. 5-10 kW for standard facilities), advanced cooling systems to handle the heat generated by GPU clusters, and high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity to international cable systems.
Vitro Sta. Rosa, the template for the new facility, is fully integrated into PLDT’s domestic fiber footprint and connected globally through international cable systems including Jupiter, Asia Direct Cable, and the upcoming Apricot. These subsea cable connections are essential for AI workloads, which often require data transfer between geographically distributed data centers.
The PLDT data center expansion also addresses a gap identified by our earlier analysis of Philippine data center capacity: the country needs hyperscale facilities to attract hyperscaler tenants. Without 50+ MW facilities, the Philippines cannot host the largest AI training workloads. The 100 MW PLDT data center would be the first facility in the country capable of hosting hyperscale AI deployments at full capacity.
The Competition — Equinix, Globe, and International Players
PLDT is not alone in the Philippine data center race. Equix has already entered the market, and Globe Telecom has signaled plans for its own data center expansion. YCO Manila Digital is building a two-story, 10,000 sqm facility in Batangas. STT Cavite 2 covers 4,500 square meters. Evolution DC is building on a four-hectare property in Manila with Phase 1 expected in Q1 2026.
But the PLDT data center at 100 MW would dwarf these competitors. Most existing and planned facilities in the Philippines are in the 5-50 MW range. A 100 MW facility changes the competitive landscape — it is the difference between hosting enterprise IT workloads and hosting hyperscale AI training. No other Philippine operator has announced a facility of comparable scale.
The competitive advantage extends beyond capacity. PLDT’s integrated telecom infrastructure — domestic fiber, international cable systems, and existing enterprise relationships — gives it a unique position. Hyperscalers prefer operators that can provide not just space and power but also network connectivity, security, and managed services. PLDT’s vertical integration is a moat that standalone data center operators cannot easily replicate.
What This Means for Filipino Professionals
A 100 MW PLDT data center is not just infrastructure — it is a job creator. Data center operations require specialized skills: facility management, power systems engineering, cooling systems, network operations, cybersecurity, and increasingly, AI workload management. The construction phase alone will generate thousands of jobs in Cavite and surrounding areas.
For Filipino professionals, the PLDT data center expansion signals growing demand for data center operations skills. This aligns with the broader AI infrastructure buildout we have tracked, from the Philippines AI boom analysis to the cybersecurity threats targeting enterprise systems like SAP Commerce Cloud. The professionals who build data center, cloud, and AI infrastructure skills now will be positioned for the wave of hiring that follows facility completion in 2028.
The PLDT data center expansion also creates opportunities for the BPO sector to pivot toward higher-value IT services. If the Philippines can host hyperscale AI workloads, BPO companies can offer AI-adjacent services — model fine-tuning, data labeling at scale, AI system monitoring — that are less exposed to automation than voice-based customer support.
Frequently Asked Questions About the PLDT Data Center Expansion
How large will the new PLDT data center be?
The new PLDT data center, planned by Vitro Inc., will have a capacity of at least 100 megawatts (MW), making it the largest PLDT data center and potentially the largest data center in the Philippines. The facility will be built in five phases of 20 MW each, with completion expected by 2028.
Where will the new PLDT data center be located?
The PLDT data center will be located in southern Luzon, in General Trias, Cavite, on a 20-hectare lot owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. The location was chosen for its proximity to the existing Vitro Sta. Rosa data center in Laguna, creating a data center hub cluster.
How much will the PLDT data center cost?
The estimated cost is ₱40 billion, approximately $1 billion. This makes it one of the largest single private infrastructure investments in Philippine digital infrastructure history.
What is PLDT’s long-term data center goal?
PLDT Chair Manuel Pangilinan has set a target of 500 MW total data center capacity, which would match Malaysia’s capacity and position the Philippines as a regional data center hub. The current Vitro capacity is 62.4 MW across nine data centers.
Will the PLDT data center support AI workloads?
Yes. The new PLDT data center will be optimized for AI and high-performance computing workloads, following the template of Vitro Sta. Rosa — the first AI-ready hyperscale facility in the Philippines. It will require higher power density per rack, advanced cooling, and international cable connectivity.
When will the PLDT data center be operational?
The detailed blueprint will be finalized in 2026, with construction starting the same year. Completion is expected by 2028, with the facility coming online in five phases of 20 MW each. The first phase could be operational as early as 2027.
Financial Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. The infrastructure investment figures cited are from publicly available sources. Readers should consult qualified professionals before making investment decisions. WorldNgayon.com is not liable for any actions taken based on the information presented here.
