The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the provincial government of Bukidnon have sealed a P1.97-billion partnership to build a sprawling food hub—an anchor project in the national campaign to modernize agri-logistics and strengthen the value chain in Northern Mindanao.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the development of the Bukidnon Food Hub (BFH) in Manolo, the municipality named after the province’s first governor.
Strategically located just outside Cagayan de Oro City—Northern Mindanao’s commercial and logistics nerve center—the BFH is envisioned to give farmers and food producers a direct, more efficient route to both domestic and export markets. Cagayan de Oro hosts Laguindingan International Airport and the largest seaport in Southern Philippines, making it the region’s primary gateway for trade.
“For a long time, Mindanao has been regarded as the land of promise. This food hub that we will build in Bukidnon, a rich agricultural center, is a step toward the realization of that promise—not only for Mindanaoans but for the entire nation,” Tiu Laurel said.
Planned for phased development over the next three years on a 41-hectare site, the BFH is designed to strengthen market linkages, scale up agribusiness ventures, expand farmers’ access to credit, and raise overall productivity. It is expected to reduce intermediary layers, give farmers direct access to customers or end buyers, and improve supply-chain efficiency. The facility will consolidate high-value crops and other key commodities from major producing towns and move them through fast, reliable connections to nearby ports and airport facilities.
The complex will feature a full suite of post-harvest and processing infrastructure, including cold-storage and dry warehouses, dryers and dehydrators, an ice plant, and processing centers for corn, coffee, cacao, vegetables, and fruits. It will also host a poultry dressing plant, wholesale food-market platforms, transport and handling bays, commercial spaces, water systems, standby power, and waste-treatment facilities.
Tiu Laurel said the project is expected to reduce logistics costs, minimize post-harvest losses, stabilize supply chains, open new income streams for farmers, and generate jobs. “This project is a game changer—a transformative investment that will strengthen Northern Mindanao’s agricultural competitiveness, support national food security goals, and spur private-sector investments,” he added.
Tiu Laurel also signed a letter of commitment with Misamis Oriental Gov. Juliet Uy to position the Misamis Oriental Provincial Development Complex as a food-processing center.
The plan is to transform the former multibillion-peso tobacco processing facility into a scaled food-processing and innovation hub, backed by an initial P500-million DA investment for a corn silo system, embryo culture for coconut, cold-storage facilities, and value-adding centers for high-value crops, including a potato-processing line for the region.
