Recognition for social impact reflects Aboitiz Economic Estates’ integrated approach to industrial development, linking infrastructure, workforce readiness, sustainability, and long-term community growth.
Industrial estates are taking on a bigger role in the country’s long-term growth story.
Aboitiz Economic Estates is putting the spotlight on integrated industrial ecosystems as a driver of regional development, following its 2026 Gold Stevie Award for Excellence in Social Impact Communities and three Bronze Stevie Awards for sustainability and community-focused initiatives.
At the center of this story is LIMA Estate, the company’s 1,100-hectare fully integrated development in Batangas. The estate is home to more than 200 foreign and domestic manufacturers and supports the livelihoods of around 75,000 Filipinos.
Industrial development beyond infrastructure
Industrial development in Southeast Asia is no longer defined by land, location, and infrastructure alone.
Today, investors and manufacturers also look at the wider ecosystem around an estate. This includes workforce readiness, reliable utilities, operational continuity, sustainability practices, and the capacity of host communities to support long-term growth.
This shift is reflected in LIMA Estate, the flagship development of Aboitiz Economic Estates. As the industrial and commercial arm of AEV’s integrated real estate platform, the company continues to position itself as a solutions provider for locators, supporting business continuity, talent access, operational reliability, and sustainable growth.
Building ecosystems around industry, talent, and communities
Aboitiz Economic Estates supports major industries that contribute to manufacturing activity, employment, and broader economic development.
Its estates are home to global locators such as EPSON, Yamaha, Tsuneishi, Coca-Cola, and Ajinomoto. Across its portfolio, the group has helped generate more than 100,000 jobs while strengthening industrial growth corridors in Southern Luzon, Central Visayas, and Central Luzon.
A key part of this model is education and workforce development.
The 10-hectare Batangas State University–LIMA Campus, located within LIMA Estate’s Industrial Hub, is set to serve as the Philippines’ first learning hub for industry-based learning. It is designed to link engineering education with the evolving needs of industrial operations, helping build a stronger talent pipeline for companies and communities.
Strengthening workforce readiness
Through Talent Edge, Aboitiz Economic Estates works with academic institutions, training partners, and locators to align education and skills development with industry needs.
The program helps companies operating within its estates access a more resilient labor pipeline. It also helps host communities gain better access to opportunities connected to industrial growth.
Sustainability as part of estate operations
Sustainability is also being built into the company’s estate operations.
Across its developments, Aboitiz Economic Estates integrates resource stewardship through initiatives that support water conservation, waste diversion, circular resource use, and more responsible industrial growth.
The Sustainability Hub @ LIMA Estate serves as a centralized facility for environmental innovation, supporting responsible waste management, water recycling, and circular economy solutions.
Recognition for long-term impact
The Gold Stevie recognition affirms the broader socioeconomic impact of Aboitiz Economic Estates’ integrated approach, particularly within LIMA Estate, where industrial growth, workforce development, sustainability, and community development are closely connected.
The company also received Bronze Stevie distinctions for Talent Edge, the Sustainability Hub, and The Estate Greenprint. Since 2024, Aboitiz Economic Estates has received eight Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, including three Gold distinctions, recognizing its work in socioeconomic impact, workforce development, sustainability, and integrated estate development.
“Industrial development today is increasingly defined by the strength of the ecosystems surrounding it,” said Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, President and CEO of Aboitiz Economic Estates and Aboitiz Land. “Infrastructure remains essential, but long-term competitiveness also depends on workforce readiness, operational continuity, responsible resource stewardship, and the ability of communities and industries to grow together over time. Our focus has always been on building environments that enable sustained and inclusive growth.”
Why it matters
As manufacturing investment across ASEAN continues to evolve, industrial estates are becoming more than physical spaces for factories and businesses.
Their long-term value now depends on their ability to create connected environments where industry, talent, operations, and communities can grow together with greater resilience.
For the Philippines, this points to a future where industrial development can also support jobs, skills, sustainability, and inclusive regional progress.
