COCONUT shell activated carbon supplier Haycarb Philippines Corporation is set to erect a facility inside the Phividec industrial estate in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental, officials announced.
Haycarbs chief executive officer Prazad Weerakoon said their company will put up an initial investment worth P400 million and benefit locals in terms of employment and coconut farmers who will be one of the company’s major sources of raw materials.
Activated carbon, also called activated charcoal, is a form of carbon commonly used to filter water and air contaminants. It has a broad range of applications for both industrial and residential uses that include odor control, drinking water purification, water treatment, power plant and landfill gas emissions, and precious metal recovery.
Haycarb operates six activated carbon manufacturing facilities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Weerakoon said construction of the facility will take about one and half years and once operational, more than 80 percent of their products will be exported.
The facility will be built in the boundaries of Tagoloan and Villanueva towns.
Haycarb officially signed the lease agreement with Phividec last October 14, 2024, and according to Phividec administrator Atty. Joseph Donato Bernedo, the company will lease 100, 000 square meters of land for P120.00 per square meter annually subject to a 5 percent escalation each year for 25 years.
Bernedo said the Haycarbs investment will help local farmers who will become a source of the facility’s raw material, the coconut shells.
“Naa nay mupalit sa atong mga lubi (Our coconuts will now have a buyer). They will also educate our local farmers on how to increase their yield,” said Bernedo.
The Haycarb CEO said they already have a local supplier where they can get 5,000 metric tons of coconut shells. Haycarb is planning to expand this requirement to some 8,000 metric tons in the next six years.
Construction of the facility will start in a month and full production is expected to commence by 2026.
