(From L-R) The BOI OSAC-SI Team: Assistant Division Chief Hannah Barroquillo, Division Chief Lubin De Vera, Jr., IAS Director Ernesto Delos Reyes, Jr., Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo, with SAMC executives: President Andre Sy, Chief Operating Officer Rafael Hidalgo, and Vice-President for Industry Development Roberto Batungbacal
BOI
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To ensure its realization will be fast-tracked, the Board of Investments (BOI) has awarded Green Lane status to the P30-billion Heavy Sections Mill and new-generation scrap recycling mini-mill project in Candelaria, Quezon.
The certification, under Executive Order No. 18 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was awarded on July 3 by Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo to Candelaria Steel Inc., a subsidiary of SteelAsia Manufacturing Corporation (SAMC).
The facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations by July 2027 and 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 project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, prioritizing sustainability by using locally sourced recycled scrap metal instead of imported raw materials.
According to SAMC, the recycling process reduces CO2 emissions by at least 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 strategically designed to address the country’s heavy reliance on steel imports, which currently adds three to four months to local production timelines.
SAMC also stated that the Philippines is the second-largest user of sheet piles next to China, further underscoring the project's relevance to national infrastructure development.
The company expressed its appreciation for the BOI’s efficient and responsive support, emphasizing that “delays cost money” and that the agency’s streamlined permit processing was instrumental in maintaining project momentum.
Moreover, 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% imported. Both SAMC plants are expected to supply the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, help close critical gaps in domestic steel production, support fabrication shops, and boost the country’s industrial competitiveness across Southeast Asia.
