ABOITIZ Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) said Thursday it is in a discussion with Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a unit of asset management firm BlackRock, for a 40 percent sale of its infra-related business under Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC).
Aboitiz, in a statement, said GIP is in the process of finalizing the “strategic partnership,” that is expected to be “one of the most significant foreign equity investments in Philippine infrastructure in recent years.”
“This collaboration underscores growing global investor confidence in the Philippine market and reinforces the country’s standing as a prime investment destination in Asia,” it added.
Sabin Aboitiz, chief executive officer (CEO) and president Aboitiz Group, is currently in the US with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and sat down with Bayo Ogunlesi, GIP chairman and CEO.
Marcos said the collaboration “marks a strong vote of confidence in the Philippines’ future.”
“With global partners like GIP working alongside respected Filipino firms such as Aboitiz, we can build infrastructure that is more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking,” he said.
AIC is the Aboitiz Group’s vehicle for its infrastructure-related assets, including significant investments in the aviation sector such as AIC’s award-winning Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Laguindingan International Airport, and Bohol-Panglao International Airport.
AIC also has investments in bulk water supply, economic estates, and telecommunications towers.
GIP, meanwhile, specializes in investing in, owning, and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and water and waste management sectors. Its scaled platform has over $183 billion in assets under management. “The Philippines has compelling growth prospects, which can be further enhanced by developing world-class infrastructure.,” Ogunlesi said. “We look forward to working with our partners at Aboitiz Group to leverage our combined capabilities to deliver best-in-class infrastructure services to the people of the Philippines.”
