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Despite of the global economic crisis, concerned government agencies and local chief executives (LCEs) in Central Luzon recently expressed their commitments to pursue the maximum agribusiness potentials of the region and make its agri-business products.Lorelei Fajardo, presidential assistant of Central Luzon, said that early this year, concerned government agencies went around the 7 provinces of the region to dialogue and consult with LCEs, farmers, fisher folks, businessmen and other stakeholders for them to identify priority potential investments and resources in their respective areas. As a result, a total of 22 priority projects worth P763- M which are open to both public and private investments were identified and to be presented to President Arroyo on the Regional Investment Forum. According to DTI Regional Director Blesila Lantayona, the investment projects cover facilities, processing, testing, laboratory packaging, 9; crops production, 7; fishery and marine resources development, 5; and livestock raising, 1. Some of the other identified projects for each province were as follows: - Aurora-cacao production with scion grove establishment and seed distribution, coffee production and expansion, mariculture, and buffalo-based diary development.
- Bataan-expansion of fish processing.
- Bulacan-established of mango packaging house and extended water treatment facilities, fish health management and fish product quality testing laboratory and saline tilapia production
- Nueva Ecija-Rehabilitation of retrofitting of the grain drying facility with rice hull fed furnace and GMA-Barangay rice technology demonstration.
- Pampanga-commercialization of moring (malunggay) saline tilapia capsulated development plan central Luzon and bamboo production.
- Tarlac-establishment of pesticide analytical laboratory, commercial production of sweet potato and sweet-potato based products.
- Zambales-mango productivity enhancement, community-based drying centre for rice and corn, rehabilitation and retrofitting of grain facilities with rice hull fed furnace and seaweeds farming.
Fajardo said that to be successful in these projects, everybody must act together and act fast, not to compete but complement each other’s efforts in order to maximize the potential of the region which is situated in the heart of Asia. The Department of Agriculture (AD) is the lead agency of the project with the office of Presidential Assistant for Central Luzon, DILG, DTI, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and National Economic and Development Authority as members of the technical working group. Participants to the said activity include concerned vice- governors, board members and municipal mayors and other national government agencies in the region. (via PIA) |
