President Aquino launches Mindanao Inclusive
Agribusiness Program
(DAVAO CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino III on
Monday thanked the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) for helping
the government develop Mindanao’s agricultural potentials through its Mindanao
Inclusive Agribusiness Program.
"I am glad to see that the government is
not alone through this endeavor. Through the Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness
Program, PBSP and its member companies and supporting agencies seek to engage
the private sector to invest in Mindanao by helping build the capacities of its
small farming communities, thus enabling them to capitalize on the rich
resources and the many opportunities available in the region," President
Aquino said during the launch of the program at the SMX Convention Center here.
President Aquino said the launch of the
initiative comes at an opportune time, as the government seeks to transform
Mindanao “from the Land of Promise to the Land of Promises Fulfilled."
He acknowledged that for a long time, Mindanao
was left in the margins, suffering from poverty and underdevelopment, but his
administration has worked to reform the system and invest in communities in the
region.
“We must boost Mindanao’s capacities, so that
they themselves may catch up and contribute to our economic growth,” he said.
The government’s efforts resulted in the
construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of 3,491 km of national roads, and
208.4 km of farm-to-market roads, he said, adding that more than P99 billion
was allotted for the construction of vital infrastructure in the region from
2011 to 2014, and P63.13 billion has been proposed for infrastructure in
Mindanao for 2015.
Some 161.3 km of the Digos-Kidapawan-Pagalungan
-Cotabato Road were improved and 39 bridges were rehabilitated early this year,
while the Basilan Circumferential Road is expected to be finished soon, he
said.
The Lake Lanao Circumferential Road Project in
Lanao del Sur is also targeted to be completed next year, he said.
President Aquino further said that the
Department of Agriculture has helped build post-harvest facilities and provide
equipment for the production of coffee, cacao, and rubber for the region.
He also called on farmers to carry out
intercropping to increase the income of the agricultural sector.
Growing coffee, bananas, or cacao, alongside
coconuts, will not only diversify the produce of a community, but will enable
the farmer to earn more, and contribute more to the region’s economic
activities, he said.
The President said he earlier learned that
certain companies have already responded to the call to advance inclusive
business in Mindanao.
Citing examples, he said that through its
agronomy and farmer-connect programs, Nestlé has equipped local farmers with
the knowledge and technique for coffee production. The company also purchases
the farmers’ produce.
Bali Oil taps poor farmers from communities in
Mindanao as contract growers of oil palm trees, he said, adding that in the
next five years, the company plans to expand operations and provide livelihood
to 22,500 households in the region.
Kennemer Foods International meanwhile trains
farmers from rural areas how to plant cacao trees, and purchases their produce,
aiming to generate jobs for 18,833 households in Palawan, Mindanao, and Visayas
by 2016.
“If the public and private sectors remain
committed to the same vision and if we maintain the synergy and trust that we
have so far harnessed to undeniably positive results, we can look forward to a
Mindanao that will serve as a true convergence point of trade and opportunity
not only for the Philippines but also for our region,” President Aquino said.
Present during the event were Interior Secretary
Manuel Roxas, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, Trade
Secretary Gregory Domingo, Mindanao Development Authority Chairperson Luwalhati
Antonino, PBSP Mindanao Regional Committee Chairman Paul Dominguez, and PBSP
Executive Director Rafael Lopa. PND (ag)
Final draft of Bangsamoro Law to be submitted to
Congress on Wednesday
(DAVAO CITY) The final draft of the Bangsamoro
Basic Law will be formally presented to President Benigno S. Aquino III and the
Congress on Wednesday, a Malacañang official said on Monday.
"It’s just a last cleaning up, following
the meetings that were held last week. So, on Wednesday (September 10), there
will be a turnover ceremony in Malacañang," Presidential Adviser on the
Peace Process Teresita Deles told reporters during a press briefing here.
"The leaders and our expected champions in
Congress will be going to Malacañang and the President himself has decided he
will personally endorse the draft to Congress," she added.
Last March 27, the Comprehensive Agreement on
the Bangsamoro was signed after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the
Philippine government came up with an agreement that aims to bring lasting
peace to Mindanao.
This paved the way for the drafting of the
Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will be submitted to the House of Representatives
and the Senate for ratification. PND (ag)
President Aquino: Coal still most viable source
of electricity for Mindanao
(DAVAO CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino III
said on Monday that coal is still the most viable source of electricity for
Mindanao.
"If Mindanao needs it (power) now, ‘yung
coal is one of the most accessible at this point in time," President
Aquino said during a media interview here on the sidelines of the launch of the
Mindanao Inclusive Agribusiness Program.
The President was responding to a question on
how his administration would address the environmental groups’ resistance to
government efforts to attract more investment for power generation in Mindanao.
He said that although the government wants to
use renewable energy to address the power generation problem in the region, it
is facing a lot of issues.
"Ang problema doon, alam nating lahat kung
gaano kamahal kung magso-solar tayo and other forms of renewable energy,"
he said.
He noted that the government is looking into
natural gas but its generation also has issues.
"May problema tayo (sa natural gas) dahil
wala pa sa Pilipinas ang regasification plant. Ang gas kasi medyo malaking
volume na ang ino-occupy. Para ma-transport ito sa mga nagpo-produce, kailangan
mong gawing liquefied gas o compressed natural gas. Para magamit ng ating
turbine plants naman, kailangan mong ibalik doon sa kanyang completely gaseous
state. Ito ang tinatawag na regasification plant," he explained.
Our choices are limited, he said, noting that
the Department of Energy has held a series of public hearings to listen to
different sides and decide on the best way to solve Mindanao’s power shortage
problem. PND (ag)
President Aquino says government on track in
easing traffic due to port congestion
(DAVAO CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino III
said on Monday the government remains on track in easing the expected traffic
buildup along major thoroughfares in and outside Metro Manila, due to ongoing
efforts to decongest Manila’s seaport.
He however indicated that resolving the entire
issue would take time, given the number of shipment expected to arrive at the
port as the holiday season approaches.
“We were clearly on track to bring the situation
to normal levels. Ang problema lang natin, September is the start of the
buildup for the Christmas season. So, may bulusok, ano, na dadami na naman
ito,” President Aquino told reporters after leading the launch of the Mindanao
Inclusive Agribusiness Program at SM Lanang Premier here.
He said the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has
already chartered a ship that would take care of the remaining empty containers
left at the Port of Manila to decongest the area and make way for new
shipments.
This is on top of the decreased docking fees
offered by the government in Batangas Port and the additional charges imposed
on the owners of overstaying cargoes, among other things, just to clear the
port.
“Everything and anything that has been thought
of, that can address these congestion problem is being done,” he said.
President Aquino said he would also review video
footages to determine what caused the heavy traffic at the North Luzon
Expressway last week, to have a better grasp of the situation.
“We ask for forgiveness from the public,” he
said, acknowledging the impact the problem has had on the economy.
“We don’t want this thing to exacerbate problems
like, for instance, increasing prices for food because of the difficulty in the
transport, on the logistics side,” he added. PND (hdc)
