Beverage firm allots P1 billion for new Mindanao plant

MANILA, Philippines - With the objective of providing high quality and affordable soft drink products and making it readily available in the Davao and General Santos region, Asiawide Refreshments Corp. recently earmarked close to P1 billion for the establishment of a new plant in the Mindanao region.

Gerardo Garcia, executive vice president and COO of Asiawide Refreshments Corp., the licensed bottler of RC Cola in the Philippines, said the company has put up a state-of-the-art bottling plant in Davao City to capture a wider range of consumers.

“We all know that one of the highest priced cola drinks is in Mindanao region,” said Garcia. “One of the goals in putting up a plant in the area is to be closer to the market we cater to. This way, we would be able to provide Davaoeños with a refreshing drink that they can easily afford,” he added.

Before RC Cola’s entry in Davao, most soft drinks brands in the area were priced even higher than in Metro Manila. But three months before ARC’s plant was set up in Davao, other cola brands began selling at a lower cost, or at least at par with current price in Manila. 

According to Garcia, one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ARC plant in Davao is soft drinks dealers and distributors in the area. “Now, they can offer an alternative cola drink that the market can easily afford.” 

RC Cola is not only more accessible but also draws more and more consumers to its cool, refreshing taste, he said, adding “Taste was one of the reasons why customers got enticed to try products that ARC offers. Before, people used to think that quality is proportionate to price, but not really. With RC Cola, you get the exact great taste you want in your cola without having to pay more for it.”   

Once the ARC plant in Davao becomes fully operational, hopefully by the first quarter of 2010, the plant is seen to supply 100 percent of daily needs of people in General Santos and Davao. As part of ARC’s objective of making the new plant one of the company’s most modern facilities to date, the same will feature an electronic bottle inspection system and a date coder. A computerized and more efficient case packer will also be put in place.