Bulacan to host Philippines’ biggest steel plant

MANILA, Philippines - Steel Asia, the country’s largest steel manufacturer, is investing P6 billion to put up the biggest steel plant in the country.

Steel Asia said the plant in Plaridel would be among the most modern in the world.

“It will be using the latest available technology that allows production efficiency and environmental protection at the same time,” the company said.

The Plaridel plant will have a production capacity of 1.2 million metric tons, more than double the capacity of its recently inaugurated P3 billion Davao plant which is at 500,000 metric tons.

The Davao plant generated around 2,000 direct and indirect jobs while the Plaridel plant is expected to create nearly 3,000 direct and indirect jobs, Steel Asia said.

Roberto Cola, Steel Asia vice president, said the Plaridel plant would feature an array of environmental measures that will allow the company to fully comply with existing laws.

Despite various groups who are against the project, Steel Asia said majority of the residents of Plaridel are now supporting the rolling mill project in the area.

Steel Asia said an independent survey conducted by Greenboroughs Tech Inc. showed 82 percent of the sampling from the direct impact area support the project.

The company said it has been conducting continuing efforts to explain the technical and environmental aspects of the plant, and its benefits to the community and its environment.

In an official public consultation conducted last month, Steel Asia said the project has obtained the support from more than 5,000 federation of tricycle associations of Plaridel.

The project was also supported by the youth many of whom have already taken advantage of the free skills upgrade training program Steel Asia has been conducting for the community, the steel manufacturer said.

“Being open and transparent with the community was key to the support we are getting for our project. We even brought some members of the Plaridel community to our newly opened Davao plant for them to see and appreciate that we are real partners in progress and we care for the environment as we go about our business,” Cola said.

Steel Asia has existing plants in Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Cebu, Batangas, and two in Bulacan.