It is time to bring industrialization to the countryside.
This is the bold statement of PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority (PIA) president Lawyer Franklin Quijano who told media during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday that it’s high time local government units consider a certain area to be developed as an ecozone or freeport.
“Ecozone as a concept is sometimes focuses to developed areas already like Metro Manila,” he said.
He cited gold-rich Compostela Valley as ideal area for Ecozone because of its gold and silver resources. He said the LGU should utilize these resources by setting up an iron ore processing plant.
Quijano also mentioned the Sibutu Strait in Siboto Island in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi. He said opening a freeport or barter trade hub in the area is ideal as it is only 15 minutes away from Malaysia.
“Ilang beses dumadaan ang mga barko even the French navy and US Navy – instead of considering that as contested area, you have to consider identifying it as a freeport Ecozone because that is only 15 minutes away from Sabah. It really has potential. Sibutu Strait is the only path from China Sea to Australia,” he said.
He said LGUs should consider this than relying to the income from the national through Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).
According to Quijano, this is the logic of the Administrative Order No. 18 accelerating rural progress through robust development of special ecozones in the countryside. Bringing industrialization in the countryside will be among the topics to
be discussed in the upcoming First Philippine Industrial Summit in Mindanao slated on November 26 to 27, 2019 at Limketkai Luxe Hotel Ballroom in Cagayan de Oro City.
The summit, which focuses on jumpstarting the Philippine Industrial Revolution 4.0, will gather champions and tycoons from various industries, as well as leaders from private and public sectors, government agencies, and policymakers. Members of the academe, the general public, and the media will also be invited to join the talks.
The summit also seeks to engage participants in relevant discussions so they can establish networks, create a cohesive vision of a modern industry, and share ideas on courses of action. Ultimately, the summit will be the gateway to revolutionizing the Philippine industrial ecosystem.
PIA is a government-owned and controlled corporation responsible for industrial estate development throughout the Philippines. Since its establishment in 1974, PIA has been involved in various projects and programs aimed at socio-economic recovery and industrialization.
PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental (PIE-MO) is a 3,000-hectare Special Economic Zone that encompasses 13 barangays within the Municipalities of Tagoloan and Villanueva. PIE-MO Industries Association, Inc. is comprised of a group of private companies and stakeholders based at the industrial estate.
