PANABO CITY, Davao del Norte (MindaNews / 13 March) – A huge, hi-tech cold storage facility in Anflo Industrial Estate here is set to rise by early 2025.
Real estate developer Damosa Land and GMAC Logitech Refrigeration Corp. (GMAC), a joint venture of Ayala’s AC Logistics Holdings Corp. and Glacier Megafridge Inc., broke ground Tuesday afternoon to construct and operate an 11,798-pallet cold storage facility in Anflo Industrial Estate (AIE).
Arturo Yan, Glacier Megafridge Inc. chief executive officer, told reporters that once the construction is completed, it should generate close to 100 jobs for the community nearby.
“These are jobs that will cover technology, refrigeration, maintenance, and operating the equipment, and do some programming of warehousing management systems that we will implement,” Yan said.
It would also include artificial intelligence to manage temperature among different products to be stored, considering that meat, vegetables, and onions, for instance, would need different storage temperatures.
“We will build technologically-driven cold storage facilities. That means it could accommodate any temperature levels that will satisfy the clients’ needs. It can go as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius to as high as 10 degrees,” Yan said.
“Yet, the logistics [industry] is different, you cannot automate physical products… you will need people who will deliver products from the loading bay to the inside roads… it will need people who can handle material handling equipment,” he added.
For Damosa Land Vice President Ricardo “Cary” Lagdameo, he said they are dedicated to boosting economic growth and improving living standards in Mindanao, recognizing the growing demand for warehouses and cold storage facilities in the region.
He also emphasized the strategic location of AIE, which at the beginning aims to spur employability around the community.
“The real winners here, I believe, go beyond the three companies that are here. It’s the local industry, it’s about SMEs, the companies… it goes across several sectors. At the end of the day it’s the consumers that will benefit, it’s really all of us,” Lagdameo said in a speech.
This will be the second cold storage facility in Mindanao for AC Logistics. The first was in Cagayan de Oro City, which was inaugurated in June 2023.
AC Logistics, a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation, owns various logistics companies and offers various supply chain solutions. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
