BOI holds regional cold chain roadshows in Cebu, Davao, and Pampanga

Aiming to grow investments in cold chain to increase warehousing capacity in the

Philippines, BOI holds regional cold chain roadshows in Cebu, Davao, and

Pampanga.

In an aim to grow investments in the country’s cold chain industry that is seen to eventually

increase the cold chain warehousing capacity nationally, the Philippine Board of

Investments (BOI) is holding a series of Supra-Regional Cold Chain Industry Roadshows

initially in three major regions of the country from October to November 2022 and the rest of

the other regions next year.

Described as inclusive, stakeholder-driven, and market-oriented, the Philippine Cold Chain

Industry Roadmap eyes to increase local cold chain warehousing capacity by 50,000 pallet

positions each year in the short term by generating investments in the industry and address

the increasing demand, particularly in the agribusiness sector.

The first leg was held in Mandaue City in Cebu on October 12. The subsequent roadshows

will be held in Davao City on October 25, and Clark in Pampanga on November 9.

The Cebu-round covered those coming from Regions 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central

Visayas), and 8 (Eastern Visayas). The Pampanga-round, meanwhile, will cover

participating firms from Regions 1 (Ilocos Region), 2 (Cagayan Valley Region), 3 (Central

Luzon Region), and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) . On the other hand, the Davao

roadshow will include Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), 11 (Davao Region), and 12 or South

Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City

(SOCCSKSARGEN region).

During the roadshows, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) will provide

the regional economic situation, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will present the

Agriculture and Fisheries Performance and Cold Chain services needs while Land Bank of

the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines will present financing

opportunities. Also, initiatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization

(UNIDO) through its Food Cold Chain (FCC) Project specifically the Cold Chain Innovation

Hub will be discussed.

A significant part of each roadshow is the one-on-one consultation between the prospective

investors and the BOI, DA, UNIDO, LBP, and DBP.

The roadshows are BOI’s platform to inform prospective investors on the recent

legislative/policy developments such as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for

Enterprises (CREATE) Act and the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) and

amendment of the Public Service Act (PSA) that liberalized foreign equity participation in

cold storage warehousing activities.

Significantly, the development of the country’s cold chain industry will lead to reduced post-

harvest losses, longer shelf life of food, a deeper linkage of the production and

manufacturing sectors, and deeper integration with the domestic and global value chains.

FOR MORE INFORMATION/REFERENCE, PLEASE CONTACT:

BOI Information and Communications Division

Office Address: 3/F Board of Investment Bldg. #385 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City 1209

Telephones: 8897.3086 / 8897-6682 local 277 | E-mail: infocomms@boi.gov.ph

PR2022-090

Moreover, the roadshows will not only result in leads in generation for the cold chain but will

also be critical in meeting the BOI’s target to generate new cold chain capacity to serve

particularly the agribusiness sector.

The BOI is focused on the development of the country’s cold chain industry. Last February,

the BOI, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), and InsightSCS Corp. signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a cold chain integrated supply chain

solution in the Philippines – the “Development of a Cold Chain Integrated Supply Chain

Solution for Evidence-based Policy Making and Investment Programming.” The said

partnership aims to utilize data analytics to identify best locations for prospective cold chain

projects and digitally onboard cold chain operators through the DELIVER-E 2.0 platform.

The Philippines is on track to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific

 PRESS RELEASE

02 September 2022

The Philippines is on track to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific 

As the Philippines is gearing to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia-Pacific region, many opportunities for investments and partnerships await the hyperscaler and data center firms who want to invest in the country, especially from the companies in Hong Kong and China.  

 

The promising prospect and competitive advantage of the Philippines as the next investment destination for the hyperscaler and data center industry were highlighted during a webinar held by the Board of Investments (BOI), through its International Investments Promotions Service (IIPS), and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Hong Kong on August 24, 2022.  

In the event, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual underscored that the Philippines is ready to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific. “We believe that the hyperscalers industry will be the next growth engine of the Philippines. We are keen on helping hyperscalers cloud services and start-up ecosystem in the Philippines,” he said.  

 

“We hope that you find these opportunities as promising as we do with your trust and passion. Let us make hyperscaler investments and partnerships happen in the Philippines,” Secretary Pascual emphasized.  

 

Also, Mr. Victor Aliwalas, VP and Technology Management Advisor of the PLDT Enterprise, shared his thoughts about the Philippine data center market. According to him, the country is ripe for digital and bullish growth prospects. In 2022, the Philippines is expected to lead the technology spending growth in Asia, ahead of Vietnam and Malaysia. Mr. Aliwalas also highlighted the Jupiter Cable System, the newest trans-Pacific cable facility connecting the Philippines to the USA and Japan. With a network distance of 14,866 kilometers, it is the fastest cable system between the Philippines and the US with 126ms latency between Daet, Camarines Norte, and Los Angeles, California.  

 

Other officials who pitched for the country’s standing as the next hyperscaler hub was Consul General in Hong Kong Raly L. Tejada, who highlighted the growing data center capability of the Philippines. While Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba of the DTI – Competitiveness and Innovation Group presented the value proposition of the Philippines for the hyperscalers as well as the numerous government initiatives for the firms.  

 

According to Undersecretary Aldaba, the Philippines has a thriving digital economy landscape with strong macroeconomic fundamentals that will continue to attract positive investment prospects.  Also, she mentioned that the Philippines is an early adapter of 5G technology in the Asia Pacific, according to Moody’s, along with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.  

 

Undersecretary Aldaba also pointed out that the Philippines has a “demographic sweet spot” because of its rich talent pool of 46.5 million workforces, and the country is producing an average of 750,000 graduates annually. With the amended PSA, the official said, the government is allowing 100 percent foreign ownership in the country’s telecommunications industry.  

 

The event was supported by Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John E. Uy, who delivered a presentation on the state and direction of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure in the Philippines, and by the Department of Energy (DOE) –  Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director Mylene Capongcol who presented the government’s plans and commitment to developing the renewable energy sector, which would also support the growing data center industry in the country. 

  

Meanwhile, the Philippines as a high potential market was attested by two of the leading hyperscaler companies in Hong Kong and China.  

 

Mr. Paul Lai, Senior Vice President, In-Country Project Investment of HGC Global Communications, Ltd., and Mr. Allen Guo, Country Manager of the Alibaba Cloud Intelligence – Philippines, both affirmed the country’s readiness as an ideal investment location, citing its resilient economy amid the pandemic, its “welcoming regulatory environment”, particularly with the passage of the amended Public Service Act (PSA) and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, coupled with the Philippine businesses increasingly relying on cloud-based IT solutions for growth. 

 

Executive Director Evariste M. Cagatan of the BOI’s Investments Promotion Services (IPS) delivered the closing message at the end of the webinar and emphasized that the country  “has a bullish economic growth trajectory” to host hyperscaler and data center operations, as the government has been aggressively promoting the Philippines with its competitive advantage.  

 

“We acknowledge the support of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence and HGC Global Communications Limited, both of whom already made it happen in the Philippines. They have generously shared their positive experience. With the likes of Alibaba and HGC Global that invested in the country and many others that have signified their interest in the field and further expand their footprint, the Philippines is now positioned to be the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific,” the BOI official concluded. # 

...

BOI Information and Communications Division

Office Address: 3/F Board of Investment Bldg. #385 Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City 1209

Telephones: 8897.3086 / 8897-6682 local 277 

Mobile: (0920) 9814742

Email Address: infocomms@boi.gov.ph 

BOI promotes business opportunities for investors, to hold SIPP roadshows nationwide

Aimed at promoting investment opportunities, build connection with the country’s investors, would-be investors, and concerned stakeholders, and make more investments happen in the Philippines, the Board of Investments (BOI), the country’s lead industry development and investments promotion agency (IPA), is conducting its series of roadshows nationwide on the salient features and highlights of the Strategic Investments Priority Plan (SIPP).  

Through the BOI’s Domestic Investments Promotion Service (DIPS) and its Extension Offices, the roadshows will initially be conducted in three key cities: Cebu on July 19, Cagayan de Oro on July 26, and Davao on July 28.  More roadshows are set to be scheduled next month. 

The SIPP, a plan prepared by the BOI in coordination and consultation with the IPAs, the Fiscal Incentives and Review Board (FIRB), other government agencies administering tax incentives, and the private sector, lists the priority industries, sectors, and business projects that may qualify for investment incentives under Republic Act No. 11534 or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act. 

The SIPP includes the scope and coverage of the priority activities and the industry tier categorization which influences the period of availment for incentives.  The higher the industry Tier categorization the longer the period of incentives availment. 

Apart from primarily providing information about the priority sectors/industries and investment opportunities under SIPP, the roadshow is also BOI’s in-person public platform to guide investors on how to apply investment projects with the BOI to avail incentives and likewise provide consultation/advisory services for those who want to understand and avail the other services of the BOI. 

The BOI SIPP roadshow is a one-day event with two parts. For the morning session, investments opportunities under the SIPP and the incentives available for qualified projects will be discussed. The afternoon session meanwhile will be for one-on-one consultations with the BOI resource persons on potential projects for registration and other investments concerns.  

The roadshow targets firms with previous projects registered with BOI as well as firms who are planning to expand their operations in the regions, regional business chambers, regional industry associations and organizations, academe, financial institutions, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) regional and provincial offices, regional National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and other regional government offices.   

The SIPP serves as a catalyst to shore up various industries and yield more diversified, complex, and sophisticated products and services in the Philippines.  The SIPP plays a significant role in the country’s goal of bouncing back from the economic ramifications brought about by the persisting global health crisis. The Plan also sustains the momentum towards the country’s economic recovery, as it will generate and recover jobs as well as competitively provide for the Filipinos’ basic needs. 

For more information on the SIPP, visit the BOI website: Strategic Investment Priority Plan | Board of Investments (boi.gov.ph)