The Board of Investments (BOI) has awarded a Green Lane Certificate to the PHP30-billion steel manufacturing project by Steel Asia Manufacturing Corp. (SAMC) in Candelaria, Quezon to fast track its completion.
The certificate warded by the BOI on July 3, 2025 will facilitate government processes for the approval of the heavy sections mill and a new-generation scrap recycling mini-mill project.
The facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations by July 2027. It 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 that will employ Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, prioritizing sustainability by using locally sourced recycled scrap metal instead of imported raw materials.
According to SAMC, this recycling process reduces CO2 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 strategically designed to address the country’s heavy reliance on steel imports, which currently adds 3 to 4 months to local production timelines. SAMC also noted 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 Green Lane Certificate was formally presented by Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo to SAMC President Andre Sy. The SteelAsia executive 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) played a crucial role in assisting SAMC throughout the investment facilitation process by coordinating with partner agencies and local government units. SAMC expressed its appreciation for the BOI’s efficient and responsive support, emphasizing that “delays cost money” and that 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% 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.
