The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that it has allocated approximately PhP4 billion for the establishment of 202 cold storage facilities over a three-year period or until 2028.
During a panel discussion at the Philippines Logistics Summit on April 29, 2025, Daniel Atayde, DA Assistant Secretary for Logistics, said that the DA needs to establish cold storage facilities near agricultural production areas in the country.
For this initiative, the DA is targeting to establish 99 modular cold storage facilities for this year and next year. Each facility has an estimated investment of PhP15 million.
Since power supply poses a significant challenge for cold storage facilities, the DA’s facilities will be solar-powered and equipped with technology that can maintain temperature for up to two days without electricity.
The DA has already handed over a PhP43 million cold storage facility to onion farmers in Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, in March of this year. This facility has a storage capacity of 20,000 bags, which is equivalent to 500 metric tons of onions.
Additionally, the agency plans to build food hubs in Quezon Province, one in the Visayas—most likely in Iloilo—and two in Mindanao, specifically in Cagayan de Oro and Davao. Additional food hubs may also be constructed in South Cotabato or General Santos City.
To facilitate the construction and operation of cold chains in the country, the DA is finalizing the guidelines for the OneDA Portal, which is expected to launch in June this year.
The portal will allow all cold chain projects and operators to file their applications, permits, and submit their requirements online. Based on the type of facility—whether it is a chiller or freezer—the portal will direct the applicant to the appropriate division.
