Unilever Philippines is expanding its regional supply chain with the launch of a new collaborative manufacturing facility in Mandaue City, Cebu—its first production site outside Luzon—as the consumer goods giant moves to localize operations and accelerate delivery to fast-growing southern markets.
The 1,600-square-meter plant will support the company’s Home Care business by producing liquid household products developed for local demand, including Surf Fabric Conditioners and Fabclean Liquids. By placing production closer to customers in the Visayas and Mindanao, Unilever expects to shorten delivery times, improve logistics efficiency and reduce transport-related emissions.
The Cebu facility reflects a broader shift by multinational consumer companies toward more distributed manufacturing footprints in Southeast Asia. With supply chains increasingly shaped by rising logistics costs, climate concerns and demand volatility, companies are rethinking centralized production models in favor of regional hubs.
“This collaborative manufacturing facility expands a more distributed production footprint across the country, supporting Filipino communities and strengthening the consumer goods industry,” said Navdeep Singh, head of supply chain for the Philippines and vice president for customer operations at Unilever Greater Asia.
He added that the site will enable faster logistics while helping reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Beyond logistics, Unilever says the facility will run on its digital-first Unilever Manufacturing System, which integrates analytics and artificial intelligence to optimize production and operational efficiency.
Company executives say the project also underscores the role of local partnerships in building supply chain resilience.
“Collaborating with local partners is essential to building a more agile and resilient local supply chain,” said Van Nguyen-thi-bich, general manager for Home Care at Unilever Greater Asia.
With its products already reaching nine out of 10 Filipino households, Unilever’s Cebu expansion signals a deeper bet on regional production—bringing manufacturing closer to consumers while boosting local economic activity in the Visayas.
