PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday inaugurated in Sta Rosa, laguna the first artificial intelligence-ready data center and the largest hyperscale facility in the Philippines.
Marcos said the facility is proof the Philippines is future-ready for the digital realm and ready to be an equal player in the world of data processing.
He welcomed the launch of the VITRO Santa Rosa (VSR) data center, which has 50-megawatt capacity and is designed to serve the cloud and artificial intelligence needs of global tech leaders.
“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. More than that, this technological development is an investment on the future of every Filipino,” Marcos said.
He urged global innovators to explore the potential of Filipino ingenuity and invest in the Philippines’ tech potential.
“Bring your technology here! Let us shape that digital economy together — with the Filipino being your greatest asset,” he said.
The president said with the launch, the country also needs to further strengthen digital infrastructure, especially for critical, private, and confidential data.
“In today’s world, (that) data is as critical as water and electricity,” he added.
Manny Pangilinan, chairman of the MVP Group that includes the Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications, said they intend to expand the VSR capacity to 500 megawatts within the next three years, and “pledge to you Mr. President, we have to be, at least equal to the capacity of Malaysia and so we would do that under your government.”
Malaysia has been known as the top data center hub in Southeast Asia in the past years with its growth being driven by strategic investments from tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Oracle.
Pangilinan also vowed to further improve connectivity through the establishment of more hyperscale facilities especially in the eastern Luzon area. This would be on top of the facilities already established in Western Luzon, Cebu and Davao.
