Eastern visayas: The economy of Eastern Visayas is expected to rebound this year, driven largely by major renewable energy investments following a sharp slowdown in 2025, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) regional office said Tuesday. DEPDev-8 Regional Director Meylene Rosales announced that the Board of Investments has approved three renewable energy projects worth a combined PHP33.39 billion.
According to Philippines News Agency, these projects include the PHP2.7-billion, 250-megawatt Sunpalo Solar Power Project in Barangay Guinciaman, San Miguel, Leyte; the PHP29-billion, 304-megawatt Gemini Wind Power Project spanning Calbayog City in Samar and San Isidro in Northern Samar; and the PHP1.8-billion, 120-megawatt Victoria Green Power Corp. solar photovoltaic plant in Babatngon, Leyte.
DEPDev-8 detailed that the Sunpalo solar project will cover a 400-hectare site in San Miguel, with 250 hectares initially allocated for the facility. Meanwhile, the Gemini Wind Power Project is an expansion of the ongoing PHP19-billion, 206-megawatt San Isidro Wind Project. This expansion will introduce 38 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 8 megawatts, enhancing the existing 33 turbines rated at 6.25 megawatts each.
Furthermore, the Victoria Green Power Corp. facility in Babatngon will include ground-mounted solar photovoltaic modules, inverters, transformer systems, switchgear, and a substation. Additionally, Energy Development Corp. plans to invest around PHP30 billion to rehabilitate and expand the Leyte Geothermal Production Field, starting in 2026.
Rosales highlighted that these developments will generate jobs, attract investments, and strengthen Eastern Visayas' role in the country's energy landscape. The region is poised for accelerated economic growth in 2026, following a major slowdown last year.
Eastern Visayas recorded a 1 percent growth rate in 2025, a decline from the 6.2 percent expansion in 2024. The slowdown was largely attributed to a 9.6-percent contraction in the manufacturing sector, following the closure of Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp., the country's only copper smelter.
PASAR ceased operations in February 2025 due to global market pressures and raw material shortages. Manufacturing accounted for 13.9 percent of the region's economy in 2025.
