The Board of Investments (BOI) has awarded Green Lane certification under Executive Order No. 38 to Candelaria Steel Inc.’s P30-billion heavy sections mill and new-generation scrap recycling mini-mill project in Candelaria, Quezon.
Candelaria Steel, a subsidiary of SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. (SAMC), plans to begin commercial operations by July 2027. The project is expected to create about 655 in-plant jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, boosting local economic activity and enhancing the domestic steel supply chain.
The facility will use Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, prioritizing sustainability by using locally sourced recycled scrap metal instead of imported raw materials. SAMC said this recycling process reduces carbon dioxide emissions by a minimum of 70 percent compared to traditional blast furnace methods, offering a more environmentally responsible approach to steel production.
Once operational, 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 designed to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on steel imports, which currently add three to four months to local production timelines.
SAMC also noted that the Philippines is the second-largest user of sheet piles after China, underscoring the project’s relevance to national infrastructure development.
Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo formally presented the Green Lane certificate to SAMC president Andre Sy. Sy was joined by chief operating officer Rafael Hidalgo and vice president for industry development Roberto Batungbacal during the ceremony.
The BOI One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI) said it assisted SAMC throughout the investment facilitation process by coordinating with partner agencies and local government units. SAMC expressed appreciation for the BOI’s efficient and responsive support, noting that “delays cost money” and the agency’s streamlined permit processing was instrumental in maintaining project momentum.
The Candelaria steel mill will complement SAMC’s pioneering Medium Section Mill in Lemery, Batangas, which was also endorsed for Green Lane Certification by BOI OSAC-SI in 2023.
The Lemery facility, currently under construction, will produce medium sections and merchant bars, products that are currently 100-percent imported. Both SAMC 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.
The steel industry remains a cornerstone of Philippine industrialization, supporting sectors such as infrastructure, automotive, shipbuilding, electronics and packaging. Through transformative projects like Candelaria Steel, BOI reaffirms its role as a key enabler of innovation-driven, sustainable and resilient industrial growth in the Philippines.
