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President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. recently unveiled the Bicol Mega Cold Storage and Vegetable and Fruit Processing Facility
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The ₱500-million investment in Pili, Camarines Sur is designed to address the lack of post-harvest infrastructure that force farmers to sell perishable goods at giveaway prices to traders before they rot
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. recently unveiled the new Bicol Mega Cold Storage and Vegetable and Fruit Processing Facility.
The ₱500-million investment in Pili, Camarines Sur is designed to address a long-standing grievance of Filipino farmers: the lack of post-harvest infrastructure that forces them to sell perishable goods at giveaway prices to traders before they rot.
During his tour of the facility, the President emphasized that the hub would not be handed over to giant corporations. Instead, the government plans to organize local cooperatives to manage and operate the site.
“You will be the ones to decide when to sell and whose products to accept,” President Marcos told local farmers in Filipino. “When we don’t have facilities like this, you are forced to accept whatever price a trader dictates because your vegetables or eggs will spoil. With cold storage, the power shifts back to you.”
The President noted that the facility allows for value-added processing—turning raw harvests into purees, dried goods, or canned products—ensuring that the profit from these refined goods stays with the farming communities rather than distant commercial entities.
The facility’s “mega” designation is supported by infrastructure designed for high-volume turnover:
- Storage: Six massive refrigerated warehouse rooms and a dedicated preparation area.
- Freezing: A blast freezer capable of handling two tons of produce at a time.
- Sustainability: An integrated solar power system to reduce operational costs and ensure climate control for meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables.
- Capacity: An annual throughput exceeding 200,000 tons.
The Pili facility is part of a broader infrastructure push. Since June 2022, the administration has seen 24 cold storage facilities become operational across the Philippines. This latest hub is expected to serve as a vital link for over 200,000 farmers and cooperatives across the Bicol Region, reaching as far as the Visayas and Mindanao supply lines.
The Vegetable and Fruit Processing wing of the facility is already equipped with industrial washing vats, pressure cookers, and pulper finishers, allowing the region to move beyond simple farming into light industrial agricultural manufacturing.
