The Department of Agriculture (DA) is investing a combined P1 billion to build a cold storage facility and a complementary food hub in Camarines Sur to boost food security, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase farm incomes in the Bicol region.

The agency said Thursday a P500-million cold storage facility in Pili is nearing completion and is targeted to open by late February or early March, following construction delays caused by typhoons and weather disruptions last year. 

“We are here to drive this game-changing project forward. This investment strengthens food security, creates jobs, attracts agri-investments, and—most importantly—raises incomes of farmers, fishers, and everyone in the agriculture value chain across Bicol and neighboring regions,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said. 

The facility will feature six refrigerated warehouses with 2,688 pallet positions and storage capacity of up to 4,600 metric tons of boxed meat or 3,000 metric tons of vegetables. 

It will also include a blast freezer, processing and packing areas, and a solar power system to help reduce operating costs.

Tiu Laurel said the DA has also earmarked another P500 million for a food hub that will provide trading and distribution facilities, with construction expected to start in June and take about 12 months to complete.

For Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr., the development of the largest and most modern cold storage facility in the region could unlock new business opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk. 

“We’re working double time to finish this as soon as possible,” he said, citing recent storms that slowed construction.

“This won’t just serve Camarines Sur. It will support the entire Bicol region, the Visayas, and even Mindanao,” Villafuerte said.