Metro Pacific Agro to build new dairy processing plant by 2027

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Senior Reporter

METRO PACIFIC Agro Ventures, Inc. (MPAV), the agribusiness arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), plans to build a new dairy processing plant at its farm in Bay, Laguna, by the middle of next year as it seeks to extend the shelf life of its fresh milk products.

“We are building a new processing facility… it’s still in the same property in Bay, Laguna, where our farm is. The timing of that is hopefully by mid-year next year,” MPAV President and Chief Executive Officer Juan Victor I. Hernandez said on the sidelines of a BusinessWorld Insights forum on June 25.

The new facility will use extended shelf life (ESL) processing technology, allowing the company to extend the shelf life of its fresh milk products to as long as 30 to 45 days.

“This means that if our fresh milk now has a 12-day shelf life, hopefully, we’ll be able to achieve 30 to 45 days,” Mr. Hernandez said.

“Hopefully, to us that’s going to be night and day in terms of distribution, but we’re able to maintain it as fresh milk,” he added.

Mr. Hernandez also said the second phase of Metro Pacific Fresh Farms (MPFF) in San Rafael, Bulacan, is expected to begin operations next month.

“By next month, phase two will already be live, which is going to double the capacity to seven hectares (ha),” he said.

MPAV opened the first phase of the 22-ha greenhouse complex in 2025, covering 3.5 ha.

According to Mr. Hernandez, the second phase will double production capacity for Japanese melons, capsicum peppers, and lettuce.

The company is also planning an additional greenhouse project in El Nido, Palawan, and a strawberry farm in Benguet.

“For the strawberry farm, the property that we acquired is about two to four hectares, [but it is] expandable to eight hectares,” Mr. Hernandez said.

He added that the planned greenhouse facility in El Nido will occupy about 1 ha, with resorts in the area expected to serve as its primary buyers.

“The natural offtakers will be the resorts in El Nido,” he said.

MPAV’s portfolio includes Carmen’s Best, which produces fresh milk and artisan ice cream, More Veggies Please fresh produce, and coconut products through subsidiaries including Axelum Resources Corp. and Franklin Baker.

MPIC is one of the three principal Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.