DTI Green Lanes fast-track ₱18.7-billion food security projects
DTI Secretary Cristina Roque (DTI photo)
More affordable food for Filipino families and thousands of new jobs in the country are expected as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) granted Green Lane certifications to 31 food security projects.
In a statement on Friday, July 4, Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque said that the projects approved by the Board of Investments (BOI), representing ₱18.7 billion in investments as of June 30, are expected to generate over 7,000 jobs for Filipinos.
Roque, who is also BOI chairman, said the certified projects range from modern breeder farms to a significant coconut processing facility, all designed to enhance local food production while stimulating employment in agriculture and agribusiness.
A single coconut processing facility alone is projected to employ 4,725 workers, while a set of breeder farms is expected to create 1,009 jobs.
“Our drive for food security goes hand in hand with creating sustainable jobs for Filipinos. This initiative directly addresses President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen local production and lower food costs for Filipino families,” Roque said.
The 31 projects are diverse, comprising 17 breeder farms, eight fattening pig production facilities, a feed mill, a cold storage facility, a greenhouse vegetable production initiative, an integrated dairy farm, a wean-to-finish farm, and the large-scale coconut processing facility.
The DTI also noted the varying stages of these projects: 17 are in the pre-development stage, seven are under construction, six are already operational, and one is in pre-operational status.
Since its launch in February 2023, the Green Lane initiative has approved a total of 222 projects, amounting to a combined ₱5.75 trillion in investments, through the DTI-BOI’s One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments. These cumulative projects are forecast to generate over 319,000 jobs for Filipinos.
Of the 222 Green Lane projects, 176 are in renewable energy, 31 in food security, nine in digital infrastructure and public-private partnerships (PPP), and six in manufacturing.
The Green Lane was established to streamline and fast-track strategic investments that support the country’s sustainable development goals, including those related to energy and food security.