The Philippines Presents Itself in Madrid as a Strategic Partner for the Spanish Company in Infrastructure, Energy and Digital Services

VIDEO: Filipinas: Oportunidades de Negocio para España en el corazón de ASEAN | Cámara de Madrid 

The Independence Headquarters of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce has hosted the conference “Business Connection: Spain and the Philippines”, a strategic meeting organized by the chamber entity together with the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Spain, its Commercial Office (PTIC-Madrid) and the Philippine technology employers’ association IBPAP. The session highlighted the business and investment opportunities in one of the most dynamic economies in Southeast Asia, a market of more than 117 million inhabitants that is growing at more than 5% per year and has just been classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income economy. With the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations on the horizon (2027), the Philippines is consolidating itself as a priority platform for Spanish companies in key sectors such as infrastructure, energy transition and high value-added digital services, whose IT-BPM industry is also celebrating its 25th anniversary as a global power.

A priority partner at the heart of ASEAN

At the institutional opening, the president of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, Ángel Asensio, and the Philippine ambassador to Spain, Philippe Jones Lhuillier, underlined the strength of the historical and cultural ties that unite the two countries and the enormous potential for growth in their economic relations. Asensio recalled that “for Spanish companies, growing abroad is not an option, it is an obligation of competitiveness”, highlighting the Philippines as a market of extraordinary opportunities.

For her part, the Embassy’s commercial counsellor, Althea Karen Antonio, thanked Spanish companies for their great interest and highlighted the role of the archipelago as a gateway to the ASEAN region, a market of more than 600 million consumers. “I want to especially highlight the priority that Spain has given to the Philippines as a strategic country within the ASEAN region,” he said, expressing his desire to “promote new meetings and business alliances like this one in the future.”

The Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Mark F. Hamoy, elaborated on this vision, recalling the “historical and cultural ties that date back more than four centuries.” Hamoy presented the “great strategic complementarities that the Philippines offers as a gateway and investment in the Asian market” and encouraged companies to explore a country with a young (average age of 26) and highly skilled population, with 700,000 new university graduates each year.

Among the main investment vectors is the government’s ambitious Build Better More programme, which mobilises 207 large infrastructure projects worth 183,000 million dollars. This plan is reinforced by the new Luzon Economic Corridor, which Spain and the European Union have recently joined, and by a firm commitment to the energy transition, which allows 100% foreign capital in renewable energy projects. All this within the framework of negotiations for a future Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Philippines, which is expected to be concluded in 2027.

A global powerhouse in digital and technological services

One of the great engines of the Philippine economy is its information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry, which in 25 years has become the second world destination in the sector. Celeste Ilagan, president and CEO of the IBPAP employers’ association, explained how the sector will reach 1.94 million full-time professionals and a turnover of 42,300 million dollars in 2026.

Ilagan detailed the potential of this industry for Spanish companies, which are looking to expand their global operations. “Our sector is strategic and capable of accompanying Spanish companies in their needs for international expansion,” he said. The Philippine ecosystem offers high-value services in areas such as global capacity centers (GCCs), software development, artificial intelligence, financial services, and healthcare management, with young, qualified, and highly English-proficient talent.

Success stories: the experience of Amadeus and Calidad Pascual

The conference featured the experience of leading Spanish companies already established in the country. Geraldine Filippi, SVP Public Affairs at Amadeus, shared the trajectory of the technology company, which is about to celebrate three decades in the archipelago. “In June 2027 we will celebrate our 30th anniversary, and we are very happy to have been able to develop a lot of technology,” explained Filippi, highlighting its leadership in airport digitalization and biometric control solutions, such as the well-known e-Gates.

In the agri-food sector, Roberto Bernuy, Director of International Marketing at Calidad Pascual, recounted the evolution of the company since its arrival in 2012-2013 through a joint venture with a local partner. Bernuy announced a decisive step in his expansion strategy: “We are going to take a new step, which is the creation of a factory there in the country to be able to produce locally, which is a milestone for us.” This move, he stressed, will allow the company to grow “much more and faster” in a market with enormous demographic potential.

Key Questions and Answers

What business opportunities does the Philippines offer to Spanish companies?

The Philippines offers significant opportunities in sectors such as infrastructure, through the “Build Better More” program ($183 billion); the energy transition, with a policy that allows 100% foreign capital in renewables; and digital and technological services (IT-BPM), where it is the second world power. The agri-food industry and mass consumption also stand out, driven by its 117 million inhabitants.

Why is the Philippines an attractive destination for investment in digital technology and services?

The Philippines is a global hub for technology services thanks to its large talent base of young (average age 26), skilled and highly proficient in English. Its IT-BPM industry employs almost 2 million people and has a turnover of more than 42,000 million dollars, offering European companies global capacity centers, software development, AI and high value-added services with competitive costs and a strong cultural affinity.

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