BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COCO INDUSTRY IN BICOL

LEGAZPI CITY— Coconut industry stakeholders in the Bicol region, with high hopes of augmenting their income, more job opportunities and bright prospectS for the coconut industry, expressed their gratitude to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the revival of the Legazpi Oil (LegOil) Company, Inc.

Jovencio Siapno, Cocoline Cooperative of Albay, Camarines Sur and Norte, Masbate and Sorsogon president, thanked the President for her paramount concern to the coconut growers and producers in the Bicol region depending their living on the coconut industry.

Siapno said the revival of the LegOil brings back convenience to coconut farmers in the region, as they would no longer sell their produce to a coconut processing plant based in Lucena City, the nearest, some 300 kilometers away, coconut mill that accepted direct deliveries.

LegOil operation was mothballed over two years ago after typhoons Milenyo and Reming wrecked havoc to the plant’s facilities in 2006

Earlier this year, the national government through the assistance of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) has infused some P100 million funds for the rehabilitation and setting up of modern facility in the LegOil.

Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) president and CEO Jesus Arranza said the reopening of LegOil has brought relief to the industry stakeholders who were once devastated by calamities that destroyed their main source of living.

Bicol is among the country’s biggest coconut-producing regions, but the industry suffered a major blow from the two super typhoons that hit Bicol in 2006 and devastated the coconut plantations all over the region.

According to Arranza, some P64 million was spent to rehabilitate the coconut industry in the region for putting up nurseries and purchase of seed nuts.

He said assistance to LGUs totaled to P4.7 million for nursery establishment and P37.7 million for 2.2 million seed nuts; while coconut producers’ cooperative received some P2.6 million for setting nurseries and P19 million for 1.2 million seed nuts.

He stressed that through this effort, the government was able to revive the coconut industry in Bicol and “our vision is to make high value coconut products so that farmers can earn more.”

He said farmers and traders have expressed anew their willingness to deal with LegOil.

Arranza further said the funds came from the shares in CIIF, through the approval of PGMA who directed the CIIF to wisely spend the money for the benefit of the coconut farmers and the industry as a whole
Instead of the usual presidential speech, President Arroyo opted to personally meet several stakeholders of the government’s program on the rehabilitation of the coconut industry in the region.

As the President earlier said, she would want to know the impact of the program on the lives of ordinary folks.

The President herself interviewed the four beneficiaries, Efren Olmedillo of Polangui town, coconut farmer Gladwin Navera from Guinobatan, LegOil hauler operator Roque Ceroma and plant worker Arvin Banańa.

Olmedillo personally thanked the President for her concern and support to the coconut farmers, adding that the money provided by her administration has enabled farmers to plant coconut again.

In response, the President said it is her responsibility to help people improve their lives.

For his part Navera said that with the recovery of the coconut industry in Albay, he is now selling 1,600 kilos of copra every 45 days.Ceroma and Banańa, who both work for the LegOil said the plant is generating employment opportunities for people.

President Arroyo explained that the recovery of the coconut industry in Bicol means new economic ventures, higher end coconut products to sell in both local and international markets, and employment opportunities for Bicolanos. (MALoterte PIA V)

PGMA ORDERS DPWH TO FAST TRACK PRECENTACION-CARAMOAN COASTAL ROAD PROJECT

LEGAZPI CITY — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed Thursday (August 13) the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to expedite the completion of the Presentacion-Caramoan coastal road in Camarines Sur province.

The President, who was scheduled to visit Caramoan, deferred the road inspection due to inclement weather. She instead proceeded to her scheduled visit to this city to inaugurate the re-opening of the tolling facility of Legaspi Oil (LegOil) Company in barangay Arimbay.

Upon landing at the Legazpi Airport, the President was briefed by DPWH Undersecretary Rafael Yabut on the status of the Presentacion-Caramoan costal road project.President Arroyo directed Yabut to expedite the completion of the project, particularly the Caramoan road leading to San Vicente roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) port that will connect the mainland of Caramoan peninsula to Catanduanes.

According to the President, she will inspect the Caramoan road project in September this year to oversee the development of her priority project in the province.

The Presentacion-Caramoan road is expected to link the nine barangays in between the two towns.

The road network costs some P329.5 million and stretches a total of 24.417 kilometers traversing through six barangays in Presentacion town and four in Caramoan.

The project covers the road opening of 17.2 kilometers, concreting of 2.1 kilometers road out of the 24.4 kilometer and construction and repair of Bulalacao and Pili Bridge and approaches.

The proposed road project is anticipated to open new income opportunities and spur the socio-economic development by providing people the means to transport livestock and agricultural products to commercial centers.

The completion of the road network could open new income opportunities and support the socio-economic development of the localities and serves as an access of the Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) from Caramoan to the island province of Catanduanes. (MALoterte PIA V)


33 KALAHI PROJECTS COMPLETED IN SORSOGON

SORSOGON Province — The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Bicol (OPAB) has reported that 33 infrastructure projects were completed in 26 barangays in this province under the Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) program of the national government.

Corazon Astillero of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) here disclosed that twenty six out of the thirty eight targeted far flung barangays in the province are now reaping the benefits of various projects completely implemented by the KALAHI program.

Astillero said in Sorsogon City particularly in Bacon district, residents of 10 barangays are now benefiting from three level 2 water systems and nine school buildings constructed, and two classrooms repaired.

“In Castilla town, 11 barangays benefit from the water system expansion, eight school buildings, two level 2 water systems, regravelling of access road and opening of 4.5 kms access road while five barangays from Pto. Diaz town also benefit from the constructed five classroom buildings and two level 2 water systems,” she added.

Still according to Astillero, in Donsol town, nine barangays will be benefited once the opening of 1.3 kms. new access road and repair of 2.2 kms. existing road will be finished.

“Aside form these, there are still upcoming projects to be implemented soon by KALAHI in the said municipality,” she recounted.

“Also, under the auspices of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) programs and projects implemented under KALAHI Conflict Areas were implemented under the Kalahi para sa Kalayaan (K4K) by the engineering brigade of AFP taking into consideration the critical areas,” Astillero said.

“Completed projects have been initially visited by the Regional Kalahi Convergence Group (RKCG) early this year,” she added.

It can be recalled that the initial launching of Kalahi program was done in the province in June 20, 2002 in barangay Mayon, Castilla.

Barangays Mayon and Sta. Cruz in Casiguran town were the first barangay beneficiaries under the Kalahi Conflict Areas program of RKCG. Projects implemented to these barangays were funded under the Social Fund of the President.

“Officials of RKCG for Bicol keep in close contact with us along with other provinces in the region and conduct consultation-dialogues with the members of the Provincial Reduction Action Teams to assess the status of project implementation and how these projects are being utilized by local residents,” Astillero said.

The Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (KALAHI) is the flagship program of the Arroyo Administration as its strategic effort to combat or reduce poverty. The program is government’s FACE (Focused, Accelerated, Convergent, and Expanded) approach focusing on the asset reform, human development, livelihood and employment opportunities, and participation in governance on institution-building. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon)

CITY DAD COMES TO AID OF HOMEGROWN INVESTORS

MASBATE CITY—To help prospective homegrown investors, Mayor Socrates M. Tuason here convened today leaders of the business community and aligned national agencies that made a list of the city’s investment opportunities.

The city needed fresh investments from local entrepreneurs to meet its goal of becoming a premier business center despite the impact of the global economic downturn on its local economy.

The gathering, which drew 48 businesspersons, including key officers of Masbate Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce (FCCC), served as a platform for them to come together in what they called Masbate Business Club.

Edgar E. Ramos, provincial director of Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said in an interview later that the business club is expected to help the city government achieve its target of making the city as attractive to business as the country’s other fast-developing cities.

The city has vast economic potential, with a growing power to finance the operation of the local government and the development of the locality with its own revenues.

Also in attendance were city development planners and branch officials of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the state-run Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

Some of the businesses were reportedly setting their sights on getting a slice of DBP’s P2-billion lending portfolio for micro, small and medium enterprises in the province

“By bringing together business and government sectors, the mayor is addressing the barriers that businesses face in seeking business-friendly environment,” Ramos said.

He explained that “these barriers make it difficult for investors to identify and screen viable projects.”
To figure out what local investors must change in doing business and what assistance the government should provide to the sector to ensure that they will not be left behind when investments from other places takes off, Tuason and MBC president Willy Peliño decided to set a summit of businessmen for next month. (EADelgado, PIA)