President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday said increasing seedling nurseries across the country would benefit Pampanga’s agriculture, food specialty, and food processing industries.
This was among the new strategies the government sees as viable to reduce reliance on importation of agricultural goods to meet local demand.
“Nagpulong kami kahapon ng iba’t-ibang ahensya ng gobyerno kasama ang pribadong sektor. Dito nagmungkahi ng mga hakbang na paramihin pa ang ating mga seedling nursery sa buong bansa para mapa-igting pa natin ang pagtatanim ng mga gulay at bigas,” President Marcos said in Bacolor, Pampanga.
The proposal was raised during the President’s meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) on Tuesday, where unused lands owned by State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) were eyed to be repurposed for seedling production.
Pampanga, known as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines, would benefit from the initiative, according to President Marcos.
“Sigurado ako na sa ganitong paraan ay makakatulong ito sa ilang pangunahing industriya ninyo rito sa Pampanga, kagaya ng pagsasaka, specialty food, at ang food processing,” he said.
The Chief Executive led the distribution of 30 Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOAs) and 2,939 Certificates of Condonation with Release of Mortgage (COCROMs) to nearly 2,500 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBS) in the province.
A total of 2,487 ARBS received COCROMs while 28 others received their CLOAs.
In the same event, President Marcos recognized Pampanga’s role in the country’s development.
He highlighted the partnership between the public and private sector in the province through the Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program.
“Sa tulong ng Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program ng gobyerno, isa sa mga kapuri-puring kontribusyon ng inyong probinsya ay ang patuloy na pagsu-supply ng itlog sa ating mga Persons Deprived of Liberty o ‘yung tinatawag na mga PDL sa mga bilangguan o BJMP na facilities,” the President said.
“Ang programang ito ay isang halimbawa ng magandang pagtutulungan ng pribadong sektor at ng pamahalaan,” he added.
Pampanga is the leading producer of eggs in Central Luzon. The province constitutes 17.7 percent of the overall egg production in the country. |PND
