Nation’s steel demand projected to hit record high in 2027 Regional authorities tighten construction steel safety controls

The Philippine authorities have launched an investigation  into steel produced by Davao Mighty Steel Corp., according to  a statement published on Facebook by the Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC).

PAOCC said in its statement that the country’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had launched an investigation after receiving reports that Davao Mighty Steel was “manufacturing and distributing substandard reinforcing steel bars.”

The commission added that four of eight samples of Davao Mighty Steel’s reinforcing steel already on the market had failed mandatory mass-variation requirements under Philippine National Standards.

An interagency operation led by the NBI at Davao Mighty Steel’s facility in Davao City on Mindanao Island also found radioactive isotopes in rebar and other materials, PAOCC said.

The commission added that the company and its officers did not have a license to handle radioactive materials.

Davao Mighty Steel wasn’t immediately available for comment on the matter Aug. 17. The authorities initiated the probe into Davao Mighty Steel after discovering Davao Mighty Steel-marked rebar in collapsed structures following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao in June, according to the commission.

The Philippines’ increased oversight of the domestic steel  industry comes amid a projected rise in the nation’s steel demand. Philippine steel consumption could hit a record high of 11.1 million metric tons in 2027, up 5.7% from the 2026 estimate of 10.5 million mt, due to the government’s infrastructure push ahead of the 2028 national elections, according to the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute trade group.

The Southeast Asian region is also ramping up efforts to improve the safety standards for construction steel. In July, the ASEAN Iron and Steel Council urged Southeast Asian governments to impose stricter controls on induction furnace technology used in the production of construction steel due to safety risks in earthquake-prone areas.

In June, Thailand ordered the shutdown of four steel mills over concerns about substandard products. The country increased scrutiny of steel plants using induction furnace technology following the collapse of the State Audit Office building in March 2025 due to a magnitude 7.7 earthquake near Mandalay, Myanmar.

Separately, the NBI said in July that it had seized over 3 billion pesos ($48.8 million) worth of radioactive-bearing and substandard finished steel products allegedly produced by

Chuangxing Steel Inc. in Pampanga province. Chuangxing Steel wasn’t immediately available for comment  on the matter Aug. 17.