RENEWABLE energy (RE) developer Spotlight Power Inc (SPI) has started building its P1.9-billion Mabini Solar Project, the Board of Investments (BOI) announced on Monday.
The project — a 49.9-megawatt (MW), ground-mounted solar farm in a 41.25-hectare property in Barangay San Pedro, Mabini, Pangasinan — is expected to generate 110.84 GWh of renewable electricity in its first year, enough to power over 24,000 households.
It aims to reduce 76,549 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The Mabini Solar Project was green-lane certified on Aug. 13, 2024 and officially registered in 2025 in the BOI One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI). It has secured permits from various government agencies on an expedited basis, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
It broke ground on Jan. 26, or 11 months from pre-development, faster than the usual two-year timeline for similar undertakings. It will start commercial operations in the second quarter of the year.
The project’s engineering, procurement, and construction will be undertaken by China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd.
SPI is backed by Trina Solar Investment PTE. LTD., a Singapore-based subsidiary and investment arm of Trina Solar Co., Ltd. in China, a leader in solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and smart energy solutions.
SPI president Aris Tulalian, who expressed appreciation to the government for fast-tracking the project, led the groundbreaking ceremony with SPI chairman Trina Solar Investment director for Southeast Asia Wang Jiang Nan, and Southeast Asia development manager Ma Jia Jing.
Representing BOI were Gov. Marjorie O. Ramos-Samaniego, Executive Director Bobby G. Fondevilla of the Investments Assistance Center, and OSAC-SI Director Ernesto C. Delos Reyes, Jr.
Also present were Mabini Mayor Colin A. Reyes and his council members.
“This project sends a strong signal to both local and foreign investors that the Philippines is serious about improving the ease of doing business and advancing high-impact, future-ready investments across the regions,” Samaniego said.
In 2025, the BOI certified P1.96 trillion worth of projects under the Green Lane for Strategic Investments, established by Executive Order 18 in February 2023 to address bureaucratic red tape across all government agencies, including local government units, acting as a single, simplified, and efficient mechanism to attract foreign direct investments.
Of 81 approved projects, 74.53 percent were in the RE sector and seen to create over 163,000 jobs.
