RCBC backs P2.8-B data center project in Rizal

RIZAL COMMERCIAL Banking Corp. (RCBC) has approved a P2.786-billion project finance facility for Singapore-based Digital Halo’s (DH) first data center in the Philippines.

“While we have funded various infrastructures across the nation, today’s signing is for yet another milestone in RCBC’s project finance history. This project marks our first-ever project finance deal for a data center facility — another bold step for the bank, underscoring our commitment to the future of the Philippine economy — one that is increasingly driven by data, connectivity, and digital transformation,” RCBC President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Reginaldo Anthony B. Cariaso said on Thursday.

The financing will support the construction and development of Phase 1, comprising 6.5 megawatts, and the core infrastructure for DH’s inaugural MNL1 data center campus in Cainta, Rizal. The site was selected for its proximity to Metro Manila’s central business districts.

Digital Halo MNL1 is the first of three buildings in a planned 70-megawatt next-generation data center campus.

“The carrier-neutral, Tier 3, hyperscale, and AI-ready facility will cater to AI, hyperscale, and enterprise requirements. Other enterprise products include rackspace colocation, hybrid infrastructure, managed IT, and business continuity solutions to serve compute-intensive and mission-critical platforms,” RCBC said.

The 3.75-hectare property can be expanded into a campus with three buildings reaching 70 megawatts in total. The project is part of DH’s regional expansion, alongside its first phase of the JHB1 campus in Johor, Malaysia, which is nearing completion.

“The backing by RCBC reflects a shared vision to develop critical digital infrastructure to support the digital transformation and growing digital economy in the Philippines. Their involvement underscores the strength of our governance and execution discipline, providing hyperscale and enterprise customers with confidence in Digital Halo as a trusted, long-term infrastructure partner,” DH Co-Founder and CEO Kai Goh said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy