SteelAsia unit's P30-B heavy steel recycling mill gets green lane status
The Board of Investments has granted green lane status to Candelaria Steel Inc.'s, a subsidiary of SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp., P30-billion heavy section mill and new-generation scrap recycling mini-mill project in Candelaria, Quezon.
In a news release on Wednesday, the BOI said it awarded Green Lane Certification to Candelaria Steel last July 3, 2025.
Obtaining green lane status expedites permit and license issuance, including resolving strategic investment issues.
In February 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order 18 mandating the creation of green lanes as part of efforts for ease of doing business and promoting strategic investments.
Strategic investments are those that are aligned with the Philippine Development Plan or any similar national development plan and can be characterized by the significant capital or investment to the country; consequential economic impact; positive impact on the environment; significant contribution to the country's balance of payments; with complex technical processes and engineering designs; and will improve the country's infrastructure capabilities.
The BOI said Candelaria Steel's facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations by July 2027.
The facility is expected to generate approximately 655 in-plant jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, 'boosting local economic activity and enhancing the domestic steel supply chain.'
The steel maker's project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility that will employ Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, prioritizing sustainability by using locally sourced recycled scrap metal instead of imported raw materials.
According to SteelAsia, the recycling process reduces CO2 emissions by a minimum of 70% compared to traditional blast furnace methods.
The BOI said the plant will produce up to one million metric tons of heavy steel sections annually, including angles, channels, H-beams, I-beams, sheet piles, and universal mill plates.
The project is strategically designed to address the country's heavy reliance on steel imports, which currently adds 3 to 4 months to local production timelines, the BOI said.
The Candelaria steel mill will complement SteelAsia's medium section mill in Lemery, Batangas, which was also endorsed for Green Lane Certification by the BOI in 2023.
The Lemery facility, currently under construction, will produce medium sections and merchant bars—products that are currently 100% imported.
Both plants intend to supply the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project and help close critical gaps in domestic steel production, support fabrication shops, and boost the country's industrial competitiveness across Southeast Asia, according to the BOI.
The steel industry remains a cornerstone of Philippine industrialization, supporting sectors such as infrastructure, automotive, shipbuilding, electronics, and packaging, the investment promotion agency said. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
21 hours ago
- GMA Network
P20/kilo rice, farm to market roads remain work in progress
In his 2024 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted the hardships confronting the Filipinos due to the rising prices of food. "The hard lesson of this last year has made it very clear that whatever current data proudly bannering our country as among the best-performing in Asia, means nothing to a Filipino, who is confronted by the price of rice at 45 to 65 pesos per kilo," Marcos had said in his report to the nation last year. Back then, the price of rice per kilo was far from the P20 per kilo he had promised the Filipinos when he campaigned for the presidency in 2022. But the efforts of Marcos, who sat as Agriculture secretary from July 2022 to November 2023, could not be ignored to achieve his P20 per kilo rice goal. The government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), has been consistently opening Kadiwa stores that sell rice at P20 per kilo. Marcos also vowed to prioritize enhancing local production to address the high food cost and build the necessary infrastructure to prop up agricultural productivity and assist farmers. He had said in his SONA that a total of 1,200 kilometers of farm-to-market roads all over the country will be completed. Further, Marcos said over 9,300 farm equipment would be distributed and more than 80,000 hectares of land would be irrigated. The projects remain in the works. In his visit to Balingasag, Misamis Oriental in April 2025, Marcos reported that in Region X (Northern Mindanao), the government was able to construct almost 70 kilometers of farm-to-market roads. "Sa buong bansa, umabot na sa 1,162 kilometro ang naitayo nating mga daan, at higit 865 linyang-metro naman ng tulay," he said. Since his presidency, Marcos said 36,000 pieces of machinery and agricultural equipment had been distributed to farmers' cooperatives and associations for post-harvest. While under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, 12,000 pieces of machinery and equipment had been provided from July 2022 up to March 2025. A month before Marcos' fourth State of the Nation Address, the Economy and Development (ED) Council, formerly known as the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) Board, approved the P27.7-billion Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program of the Department of Agriculture. Under the program, the DA said it aims for the construction of 300 climate-resilient modular steel bridges across 52 provinces in 15 regions. 'By improving physical connectivity in farming and fishing communities, the Farm-to-Market Bridges Development Program addresses persistent infrastructure gaps that limit market access, increase post-harvest losses, and hinder rural productivity," said ED Council vice chairperson and Economics Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. "It also aims to uplift rural incomes and improve food logistics, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,' Balisacan added. The Agriculture Department also reported that it had completed over 450 agri-infrastructure projects, including farm-to-market roads, fish ports, and food storage facilities. Further, agriculture insurance now protects more than 1.3 million farmers, livestock raisers, and fishers. 'Through the Masagana Rice Industry Development Program, aligned yields have improved from 3.3 to 4.2 metric pounds per hectare, with the first quarter yields again at 4.09 metric pounds. We are also expanding value-chain innovation,' said DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel in a speech, as delivered by Agriculture Director Karen Roscom in a summit in Manila. Benefits A number of farmers expressed relief with the administration's efforts, saying that farm-to-market roads are a long-awaited solution. 'Mahalaga para sana may madaanan kami at mayroon kaming mapagbiladan ng palay namin,' said Robert Lopez, a rice farmer in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, in a report by GMA Regional TV. (It is vital so that we can have paved roads for our goods and an area for drying palay.) Approved by the DA, the local government in Mangaldan and the barangay, a farm-to-market road is set to connect Barangays Guilig, Malabago, and Bari. Initial groundwork, such as soil filling, has already begun. Guilig Councilman Louie Prestoza said the project, which is estimated to reach P3 million, will make it more convenient for farmers to transport their goods and will serve as an alternate route for public and private vehicles in the area. 'Hindi lang kami dito ang mabebenepisyuhan. Marami, kahit na taga-ibang lugar,' Prestoza said. (It is not just us here who will benefit. Many more residents, even from other places.) P20 per kilo of rice Marcos' campaign promise of P20 per kilo of rice has been initially implemented in the Visayas region, and is set to be rolled out across the country in the coming months. The second phase of the program commenced this July in the Mindanao region. Marcos said it took time for him to fulfill his promise because the government needs to assist the local farmers first, including the provision of machinery. The P20 per kilo rice initiative under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program only allows members of vulnerable sectors—including indigents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and solo parents to buy NFA rice at P20 per kilogram. Moreover, it can also be availed by minimum wage earners. Marcos expressed confidence that his administration could sustain its implementation. Increasing prices of goods With the price of some goods increasing, Marcos said the government is also monitoring "price gouging" in the consumer market. "Iyon lamang binabantayan natin ngayon 'yung price gouging. Dahil ang dami ko nang nakita nagtataas ng presyo, hindi naman tumaas ang presyo ng langis. So, iyon ang babantayan natin ngayon. That's what we are going to watch," he said. (We're monitoring the price gouging. Because I've seen a lot of price hikes even though fuel prices have not increased. So that's what we will monitor right now. That's what we are going to watch.) Farmers However, the progressive group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that farmers and fisherfolk remain waiting for the fulfilment of the President's SONA promises. KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos lamented that majority of the Filipino farmers do not own the land they till, and continue to lose it due to land conversion. He also said the people in other areas of the country await the affordable rice promised by Marcos. Ramos said they also continue to long for the day when the country would be rice self-sufficient and would no longer need to buy imported rice.—LDF/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
From POGOs to PIGOS: Is the government breeding the same evil?
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) was already running for close to an hour and a half before what appeared like a hushed audience when he announced, 'Effective today, all POGOs are banned. It certainly became the highlight of his report to the nation, drawing cheers and a standing ovation from many lawmakers and guests. Marcos had said POGOs had ventured into illicit areas such as scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and murder. Four months later, on November 8, 2024, he would issue Executive Order No. 74 that banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) effective December 31, 2024 . The order covered illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations. But concerns are emerging that the Philippine Inland Gaming Operators (PIGOs), which were seen to help shore up the gaming revenue and employment gap that resulted from the POGO departure, are causing their own problems. No less than Senate President Francis Escudero had said that Pigos should be subjected to scrutiny. In contrast to POGOs that target the international market, PIGOs are licensed operators offering online gambling platforms to users in the Philippines. According to the International Masters in Gaming Law, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) started issuing PIGO licenses in 2020, where services were then aimed exclusively at VIP players already on the gaming regulator's player database. GMA News Online has reached out to PAGCOR for confirmation and will update once it responds. Though PAGCOR did not disclose the revenue specifically attributed to PIGOs, data showed that the gaming industry posted a gaming revenue (GGR) of P372.33 billion in 2024. Of this, P201.83 billion is from land-based casinos, P154.51 billion is from e-games and e-bingo, and P15.97 billion is from PAGCOR-operated casinos. "We partly attribute the strong performance of the local gaming industry to the strategic policy adjustments that we have implemented, such as the gradual reduction of fee rates for E-Games since 2023," PAGCOR chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco said. "At the time, PAGCOR was collecting between 50% to 55% license fees, thus deterring expansion, but effective January 1, 2025, our fee rates for E-Games stand at only 30% of GGR," he added. Review Some government officials, however, are concerned about the possible effects of PIGOs, including Escudero, who has called for a review of their operations. In March, Escudero warned that POGOs may have simply rebranded as PIGOs to continue their operations. 'Kung ipinagbawal nga natin ang POGO kaugnay ng pagsusugal ng dayuhan, hindi ba dapat lalo 'yung pagsusugal na Pilipino mismo? Definitely, it cannot go on this way,' Escudero had said. (If we banned POGO that is connected with foreign gambling, shouldn't we prohibit gambling among Filipinos themselves all the more? Definitely, it cannot go on this way.) 'Three bills or four bills have been filed to either ban or regulate Philippine inland gaming. We will pursue those bills and make sure that they lead to a floor debate and plenary vote on the matter,' he added. Senator JV Ejercito, meanwhile, urged the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, e-wallet companies and other financial service providers to immediately cut off access to online gambling platforms and plug loopholes being exploited by operators. Ejercito said the BSP can issue a circular imposing stricter regulations on these platforms to prevent minors from accessing online gambling. Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director Gilbert Cruz, however, said there are currently no reports of POGOs that have rebranded as PIGOs. 'Hindi naman. Magkaiba naman 'yun. 'Yung isa offshore, 'yung isa domestic,' he told GMA News Online. (Not really. Those are different things. One is offshore and one is domestic.) He said authorities are still looking into whether PIGOs will also be completely banned or only regulated. For its part, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said that the government is continuously studying PIGO operations. "Pinagkumpara po ngayon kung ano iyong nangyari sa POGO at saka sa PIGO. Sa POGO, kaya po siya na-ban/total ban, dahil marami pong nangyayaring krimen because of the POGO. Pero as of now, lumalabas po sa pag-aaral ay hindi po ito nakakagawa ng krimen—hindi siya nagiging cause or hindi siya iyong nagiging dahilan, iyong PIGO, para makagawa ng krimen," she said. (What happened to POGO is being compared with PIGO. POGO was totally banned because of the crimes related to it. But as now, it was revealed in a study that PIGO is not related to crimes, it is not the cause or does not lead to the commission of any crime.) Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) described online gambling as a serious moral issue disguised as entertainment and technology. 'Sa pagsusugal ang konsensiya ay unti-unting nagiging manhid. Tinuturuan tayong isipin na ito ay normal, pampasaya, o wala namang masama,' CBCP said. (With gambling, the conscience gradually becomes numb. We are taught to think that it is normal, fun, or that there is nothing wrong with it.) Calling it 'bagong salot' or new plague, the Filipino bishops noted that online gambling has become a public health crisis that not only destroys a person but also a family's relationship. 'Hindi natin matiis na manahimik sapagkat ang pagkasugapa at ang pagiging talamak ng sugal ay salot, isang virus na sumisira at pumapatay sa mga indibidwal, pamilya at lipunan,' CBCP said. (We cannot afford to remain silent because addiction and the prevalence of gambling are a plague, a virus that destroys and kills individuals, families and societies.) The prelates also urged the government to impose appropriate regulations on online payment systems to restrict the public, especially the youth, from using them for online gambling. 'Nais naming magpa-alala na tayo'y makakaalpas sa pagkaalipin sa pamamagitan ng marangal na trabaho, at sa patuloy na pagtahak ng landas ng katotohanan, kabutihan, katarungan, at higit sa lahat sa biyaya ng Diyos,' CBCP said. (We remind everyone that we can break free from addiction through honest work, by continuing to walk the path of truth, goodness, and justice — and above all, the grace of God.) —LDF/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Marcos, Congress deliver laws on seas, investments
A year ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on his allies in Congress to pass four measures, aside from the 2025 national budget, during his third State of the Nation Address. These were the Maritime Zones bill, Archipelagic Sea Lanes bill, Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy (CREATE MORE) bill and amendments to the Electric Power Industry and Reform Act (EPIRA). Of the four, three bills were signed into law. The Maritime Zones law provides that the Philippines exercises sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial sea archipelagic waters, and the airspace over it, including its seabed and subsoil as stated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. The Archipelagic Sea Lanes law allows the President to identify the archipelagic sea lanes and air routes that the foreign vessels and aircraft can use, the obligations and prohibitions in using the sea lanes, and penalizes the operators of water and air assets for any loss or damage suffered by the Philippines or any third party due to non-compliance with the provisions of the law The CREATE More law aims to increase the investment capital approval threshold for the country's Investment Promotion Agencies from P1 billion to P15 billion pesos. It also seeks to exempt certain goods and services such as janitorial, security, financial consultancy, marketing, and human resources from value-added tax. The President's pitch for the bill amending the EPIRA law to bring down electricity costs, however, did not gain steam in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Higher electricity bills were felt in March since the Energy Regulatory Commission approved a higher feed-in tariff rate. House spokesperson Princess Abante said the President's priority legislations will be known after he delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28, but the President's cousin and presumptive Speaker, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, already vowed support for legislations that would make the P20 per kilo rice sustainable by filing the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act. The proposed RICE Act authorizes the state-run National Food Authority to buy palay at competitive prices, manage buffer stocks, and directly sell affordable rice to consumers during periods of price volatility. The way forward in pushing for the President's priority legislation, however, does not get any easier halfway into his administration. For one, only five of the President's 11-strong Senate slate won in the midterm polls. Congress will also have to deal with the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, an ally turned foe of Marcos. But for Dr. Jennifer Oreta, dean of the Ateneo School of Government, Marcos will rise and fall based on how he communicates the government's programs and makes the reforms palpable to the public, regardless of the political noise. 'Remember, the performance of the Duterte candidates during the last elections was also not very good. The breakup of the Uniteam affected both. So I don't think the Vice President's impeachment trial is a make-or-break type of situation for the administration, if it plays its cards well,' Oreta told GMA News Online in a Zoom interview. 'I would say it is the President's decisiveness and political will that the people need to see. People need to see that this government is actually bent on delivering results, whether that is in the form of legislation or in the form of impeachment [conviction] of Vice President Duterte. Hindi kasi masyadong nakikita at nararamdaman ng mga tao yung political will ng administration,' Oreta pointed out. (As it is, people hardly see and feel the political will of the administration.) Oreta said that such a disconnect with the public's perception was something that Marcos himself recognized when he ordered that all his appointees render a courtesy resignation, making the revamp more crucial in his last three years in office. 'It's actually the biggest shakedown in the Executive branch, and a first post-EDSA [People Power Revolution] in 1986. It was a massive shakeup, and until now, we are waiting on how this will play out. Will it actually re-energize the bureaucracy in terms of service delivery, in terms of legislation?' the Ateneo dean said. 'If he is able to appoint the right people who can help him steer the administration in the right direction, that will actually improve the government's performance and perception of the people. But the other danger of this shake-up is that, if the President appoints traditional politicians that would help him deliver the victory for the 2028 elections, especially in the vote-rich will have an effect on the public perception towards the administration,' Oreta added. —LDF/RSJ/NB, GMA Integrated News
