SUZHOU, Jiangsu Province – One of China’s biggest steel sheet companies is optimistic about launching its $3.5 billion manufacturing plant in Maasim, Sarangani Province by the first quarter of 2025.
Panhua Group Co. Ltd. partnered with Alsons Group for the project, which is expected to generate an additional 25,000 jobs.
Li Xinghua, Panhua Group chairman, told visiting Filipino journalists on Aug. 17, that they would prioritize hiring locals for the steel plant, allocating at least 20,000 jobs for Filipinos. However, they have a training program intended for college students in Jiangsu Province to provide them an opportunity to also work in the factory.
The company also plans to invite Filipino students from universities and colleges for exchanges to enhance their skills.
Li said they are bullish on the Philippines and are looking to locate in 10 industrial parks and ecozones across the country.
“We have more investments in the Philippines, not only in Sarangani but also in Metro Manila and Cebu,” he said.
For example, Panhua Group is looking to distribute its Hualong pickled vegetables in the Philippines. Their products come in various flavors like the “Pickled Vegetables with Mushroom,” “Strong Sour Soup Seasoning,” “Paste for Pickled Vegetable and Beef,” “Canned Paste for Pickled Vegetable and Beef,” and “Paste for Pickled Vegetables with Mushroom and Beef.”
While the tycoon jokingly appointed himself the unofficial Philippine ambassador to China, Panhua’s Zhangjiagang headquarters is replete with photos of the chairman with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President Rodrigo Duterte, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., along with some Philippine trade secretaries.
Also, the chairman’s office has two indoor flagpoles displaying the Philippine flag and the Chinese flag next to each other.
And he takes his job seriously. To illustrate, Li has talked to some potential investors about pooling their resources to invest in the Philippines. While initially receiving a positive response, he admitted the tension between the two countries threw a wrench in his plans.
“They are adopting a wait-and-see attitude,” he said, quickly adding that he’s not giving up on trying to persuade them to jump on board.
Once fully operational, Panhua’s manufacturing plant in Sarangani will generate at least 10 million tons of galvanized steel, color-coated steel coil, and steel slab, among others. However, it will only produce two million tons for Phase 1.
Alsons has a pending application before the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to expand the Kamanga Agro-Industrial Ecozone Development Corp. to include the 92-hectare Kamanga Agro-Industrial Ecozone (KAIEZ).
The KAIEZ, nestled in Barangay Kamanga, Maasim, covers the Panhua manufacturing plant project. Alson’s subsidiary, Sarangani Energy Corp., also has a P27.5 billion coal-fired plant in KAIEZ.
