New partnership brings Pilmico to West Cebu Estate, expanding the region’s manufacturing capacity while leveraging integrated infrastructure and Aboitiz Group synergies to support long-term business and regional growth
[From L-R] Aboitiz Economic Estates Assistant Vice President for Industrial Sales Nico de Leon, Aboitiz Economic Estates Vice President and Head of Industrial and Commercial Business Units Clifford M. Academia, Aboitiz Foods First Vice President and Country Director for Agribusiness – Philippines Norie Bermudez, and Aboitiz Foods Business Development Manager Johnir Espina.
BALAMBAN, CEBU, Philippines, 2 October 2026—Aboitiz Economic Estates is strengthening West Cebu Estate’s position as an integrated industrial and economic ecosystem with the entry of Pilmico, an Aboitiz Foods company, as its newest locator. Formalized through a ceremonial signing, the partnership will bring Aboitiz Foods’ planned feedmill to the estate and further diversify the industries contributing to Cebu’s growing economic base.
The first phase of the new feedmill is expected to deliver significant additional production capacity when operations begin in 2028. The investment will strengthen Pilmico’s feeds manufacturing and supply capabilities across the Visayas and Mindanao and add a major food and agribusiness operation to West Cebu Estate’s growing industrial base.
For Aboitiz Economic Estates, the partnership demonstrates the value of an industry-anchored economic estate that goes beyond providing industrial land. Through integrated infrastructure, reliable utilities, strategic location, and access to the broader Aboitiz Group ecosystem, West Cebu Estate provides businesses with an operating environment designed to support long-term competitiveness and growth.
“Welcoming Aboitiz Foods to West Cebu Estate is a significant milestone for the estate and a strong demonstration of the value we aim to create for our locators,” said Clifford Academia, Vice President and Head of the Industrial Commercial Business Unit at Aboitiz Economic Estates and Aboitiz Land. “Pilmico’s new feedmill in Cebu shows how an integrated economic ecosystem can help businesses translate their growth strategies into actual operating capacity. At the same time, the investment strengthens the industrial base of West Cebu Estate and creates opportunities for broader economic activity in the region.”
A Strategic Platform for Industrial Growth
The West Cebu Estate continues to be a premier investment hub in the province, driving substantial growth in Balamban and across neighboring areas such as Toledo and Asturias.
Located in Balamban, Cebu, West Cebu Estate is a 540-hectare PEZA-registered industrial estate anchored by the country’s shipbuilding industry. It currently hosts 14 locators and has generated over 14,000 jobs, with its latest development phase opening additional opportunities for industrial, commercial, residential, and community development.
The entry of Aboitiz Foods further diversifies the estate’s industrial base by bringing food and agribusiness manufacturing alongside its established shipbuilding and logistics activities. This supports Aboitiz Economic Estates’ approach to building resilient economic ecosystems where industries, businesses, infrastructure, services, and communities can reinforce one another.
“An economic estate should do more than solve for location. It should help businesses address the practical requirements of operating, growing, and remaining competitive,” Academia said. “West Cebu Estate is being developed with that broader objective in mind, giving our locators access to the infrastructure, utilities, services, and ecosystem capabilities they need to succeed over the long term.”
Enabling Aboitiz Foods’ VisMin Growth
For Aboitiz Foods, the new feedmill represents a strategic investment to strengthen its manufacturing footprint and provide additional capacity closer to customers in the Visayas.
The company already operates a feedmill in Iligan, which currently serves customers across Visayas and Mindanao. With the addition of the Cebu feedmill, Aboitiz Foods will be able to build greater flexibility into its manufacturing network, while enabling its Iligan facility to optimize its capacity for Mindanao and improve the efficiency and responsiveness of the company’s overall supply network.
The investment forms part of Aboitiz Foods’ long-term commitment to growing alongside its customers and strengthening its ability to serve key markets across its Philippine operations.
“This new facility is an important step in strengthening our ability to serve customers across the Visayas and Mindanao over the long term,” said Norie Bermudez, First Vice President and Country Director for Agribusiness-Philippines, Aboitiz Foods. “West Cebu Estate provides us with a strategic location and an operating environment that can support the scale and requirements of this project. We look forward to working closely with Aboitiz Economic Estates, and as we bring this new facility to life, we also hope this investment will contribute to the continued development of Cebu and the broader Visayas region.”
Aboitiz Group Synergies Supporting Business Competitiveness
A key advantage of West Cebu Estate is its access to capabilities within the broader Aboitiz ecosystem, enabling Aboitiz Economic Estates to provide solutions that extend beyond land and physical infrastructure.
For the new Pilmico feedmill, power will be supplied by Balamban EnerZone Corp. (BEZ), a subsidiary of AboitizPower, while water will be provided by Aboitiz InfraCapital Estate Water.
These capabilities reflect Aboitiz Economic Estates’ role as a solutions provider, helping businesses address infrastructure, utilities, connectivity, sustainability, and other operating requirements that influence long-term competitiveness.
The partnership with Aboitiz Foods also demonstrates how Group synergies can create value across the Aboitiz ecosystem. By bringing together the capabilities of Aboitiz Economic Estates, AboitizPower, Aboitiz InfraCapital, and Aboitiz Foods, the partnership leverages complementary strengths while supporting the continued development of West Cebu Estate.
From Investment to Shared Value
The arrival of Aboitiz Foods comes as West Cebu Estate continues to evolve as a strategic industrial destination in the Visayas. As new locators establish operations, the estate has the potential to generate economic activity beyond its boundaries through employment, supply chain opportunities, skills development, and local enterprise.
This reflects Aboitiz Economic Estates’ approach to growth with shared value, where investment within its estates contributes to stronger communities, regional development, and broader national competitiveness.
“Ultimately, the value of an economic estate is measured not only by the investments it attracts, but by what those investments enable,” Academia said. “When businesses grow, they create jobs, develop capabilities, engage local suppliers, and contribute to the strength of the surrounding economy. That is the kind of long-term, shared growth we want West Cebu Estate to support.”
The ceremonial signing with Aboitiz Foods marks another step in West Cebu Estate’s evolution as an integrated economic ecosystem where businesses can operate competitively, people can build careers, and communities can grow alongside industry.
