The new facility will rise beside its manufacturing complex in Cabuyao, Laguna and is expected to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The project will be undertaken by AB Pascual Foods, the joint venture between Asia Brewery and Spanish dairy company Calidad Pascual, which currently imports yogurt from Spain under the Pascual Creamy Delight brand.
Long-term confidence
“As a committed partner in nation building, we plan to invest a billion pesos in a local yogurt manufacturing plant to strengthen the domestic dairy value chain,” AB Pascual Foods board member Michael Tan said on Tuesday.
“More importantly, it reflects our long-term confidence in the Philippines. We are here not simply to manufacture products but to strengthen our country’s dairy ecosystem,” he said during a memorandum signing for a 100-day milk-feeding program that will benefit 500 public school students in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Asia Brewery is one of the Philippines’ largest beverage companies, with brands including Heineken, Beer na Beer, Cobra Energy Drink, Nestea and Absolute bottled water.
“We estimate that will be operational by the fourth quarter next year,” Tan said.
Import substitution
“The market is growing for dairy products. It’s also import substitution. It’s better that we manufacture our own food and grow our own food rather than import,” Tan added.
The new facility will produce yogurt that can be stored and transported significantly longer than conventional fresh yogurt, allowing the company to serve new markets beyond Luzon.
Growing demand
AB Pascual accounted for about 45 percent of the Philippine yogurt market in 2024, giving it a strong base for local production, according to the Asia Food and Beverages online publication.
The investment also comes as the company sees growing demand for dairy products from increasingly health-conscious Filipino consumers.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
