Philippine province to turn dormant nuclear plant into digital hub
The province of Bataan in the Philippines is eyeing to transform the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) into a hyperscale data centre and IT hub, positioning the province in Central Luzon, Philippines, as a future leader in the digital economy. Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III shared the plan during his speech at the Global Emerging Tech Summit 2025 in Balanga City.
“The Philippines will have one of the most secure and iconic data centres in the world,” Garcia said. “Some say that’s ambitious. I say if Dogecoin can hit $90 billion because of memes, surely Bataan in the Philippines can power Asia’s next digital hub.”
Infrastructure for a connected peninsula
Garcia compared the province’s development model to blockchain. “We may be a small province, but like a blockchain network, every block, every barangay adds value to the chain. That’s how progress happens here. One verified block at a time.”
One of Bataan’s major infrastructure projects is the Bataan Interlink Bridge, a 32-kilometre span expected to connect Central Luzon to Cavite and the National Capital Region (NCR). He also discussed the Manila Bay Coastal Defence and Expressway Project, a proposed link connecting Bataan, Pampanga, and Bulacan. “Not only will it be the solution to the decades-long flooding in Central Luzon, but it’ll also be a faster and alternative road to Metro Manila. If this gets built, we’ll only be 30 minutes away from the National Capital Region.”
Law and innovation
Garcia said Bataan’s push for digital innovation is built on legal foundations. “Republic Act 11453 amended the charter authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan to include blockchain, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies among its governing principles,” he said. “So yes, blockchain isn’t just a buzzword in Bataan, it’s in our law.”
“If anyone says blockchain has no use case, tell them it’s literally written in our Republic Act,” he added.
According to Garcia, this framework has helped drive growth. “In 2024, Bataan achieved 9.3% GDP growth, and now holds the highest GDP per capita amongst all provinces,” he said.
Trust and performance-based governance
“The true foundation of progress isn’t infrastructure, it’s trust and merit,” Garcia said. “We all believe good governance should work like blockchain — transparent, traceable, and performance-based.”
He highlighted initiatives that measure and reward performance. “We’ve started with the One Bataan Seal of Healthy Barangay, where 237 barangays are monthly evaluated to make sure they are reaching the health outcomes that they need to provide for their constituents,” he said.
Barangays that meet standards receive monthly financial incentives. “Those who are able to get the seal are given PHP50,000 ($845) every month,” he added. “If you cover the whole 12 months, a barangay can get PHP600,000 ($10,150) worth of financial assistance and deliver the much-needed health outcomes to their people.”
Another programme, the Barangay Master Development Plan, requires every barangay to prepare a ten-year roadmap. “For those who were able to come up with their Barangay Development Master Plan, we provided them with the Barangay Patrol Services,” Garcia said.
Blockchain for transparent governance
Garcia said the next challenge is to secure government data. “Data alone isn’t enough. It must be verified, auditable, and tamper-proof. And that’s where blockchain technology secures the integrity of governance,” he said.
He invited developers and investors to work with Bataan to “build the first blockchain-based meritocracy system in governance,” describing it as “a system where every LGU’s performance is accurately measured and transparent, where incentives are released automatically, maybe through smart contracts.”
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