THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) lauded the opening of a new commissary by Jollibee Foods Corp. (JFC) in northern Cebu last week, citing it as a sign of sustained investor confidence in the Visayas and the government’s push to strengthen regional manufacturing.
DTI Secretary Christina Roque, who led the inauguration, said the Danao facility supports the agency’s goal of dispersing investments beyond Metro Manila while building more resilient domestic supply chains.
She added that the project reflects rising consumer demand in northern Cebu, driven by growth in manufacturing, port activity and residential development.
The Danao commissary is JFC’s 12th in the Philippines and its largest in the Visayas. It is the group’s fourth commissary in the region and is designed to serve growing demand from stores across the Visayas and Mindanao through higher automation and expanded production capacity.
“Every time a brand like Jollibee chooses to invest in a growing city like Danao, it validates what we see on the ground—more jobs, more income, and a stronger local economy,” Roque said. “This is exactly the kind of inclusive growth we want to see across the regions.”
She said such investments create quality jobs, deepen local supply chains and strengthen food manufacturing outside Luzon, in line with DTI’s industrial development and inclusive growth agenda.
DTI is pushing for regional manufacturing through key strategies and programs aimed at industrialization, innovation, and enhancing the global competitiveness of local products. This initiative is part of the broader Tatak Pinoy (Proudly Filipino) Strategy and the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy.
JFC’s commissary currently employs 451 workers, with about 63 percent hired from Danao City, according to company and provincial officials. The remaining workers come from nearby towns, supporting employment generation across northern Cebu.
Roque said the opening also underscores the resilience of domestic consumption, which continues to underpin Philippine economic growth amid global uncertainty. Fast-food and casual-dining chains are typically among the first to expand when foot traffic and household spending reach sustainable levels in provincial cities.
JFC operates other commissaries in Laguna, Bulacan, Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Muntinlupa and Pasig. / KOC