The Jollibee Group’s Danao Commissary in Cebu has received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, becoming the first manufacturing facility in the country to be certified under the LEED rating system for interior design and construction.
Global real estate services firm JLL, which served as the project’s LEED consultant and sustainability adviser, said it guided the certification process from project planning through completion, culminating in the award in May 2026.
The approximately 18,000-square-meter food manufacturing facility earned LEED v4.1 ID+C: Commercial Interiors Gold certification, a globally recognized green building standard developed by the U.S. Green Building Council and administered through Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI).
According to JLL, the project presented a unique challenge because LEED does not have a standard certification pathway specifically designed for manufacturing facilities. The company said it worked with GBCI to establish an appropriate certification approach while overseeing commissioning, energy modeling, renewable energy studies, and other sustainability measures throughout the facility’s design and construction.
“The certification required developing a customized LEED roadmap that aligned with the operational requirements of an active manufacturing facility,” said Nix Garchitorena, LEED consultant and project manager for Sustainability Consulting at JLL.
The certification was supported by verified sustainability metrics, including an 82.1-percent reduction in projected energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, a 76.95-percent reduction in indoor water consumption, and the diversion of 99.38 of construction waste from landfills.
JLL also said the commissary performed strongly across several LEED assessment categories, including energy efficiency, water management, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation.
Mugundhan Kesavan, LEED consultant at JLL, said the project demonstrated how sustainability measures can be integrated into manufacturing operations without disrupting production.
The certification comes as manufacturers increasingly face pressure to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Industrial facilities are among the largest contributors to operational emissions, making sustainability initiatives a growing priority for companies seeking to lower environmental impacts while maintaining productivity.
JLL said the Danao Commissary project could serve as a model for other manufacturers pursuing green building certification and broader decarbonization efforts. The firm’s Sustainability Consulting practice provides advisory services on green building certification, energy efficiency, and net-zero strategies for clients across the Asia-Pacific region.