Abella pushes MOA with DTI for Toril food terminal

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
Davao City councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella is pushing the city to enter into an agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry-National Development of Corporation (DTI- NDC) for the establishment of a food terminal in Toril.
In yesterday’s regular session, Abella, chair of the City Council’s committee on agriculture and food, said she received a copy of a proposed memorandum of agreement (MOA) between NDC and city government for the establishment of the Agri Pinoy Trading Center (APTC) which will be funded by Department of Agriculture (DA).
“NDC will provide a five-hectare portion of its property in Daliao, Toril as site for the APTC for a period of 15 years,” Abella said.
She said on April 8, 2014, the City Council enacted City Ordinance No. 0139-04 series of 2014 authorizing the City Mayor to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) of both parties relative to APTC.
Abella said the MOU was signed on June 9 last year in which both parties signified their intention for cooperation and collaboration for the development of APTC that will benefit the agricultural communities not just in the city but also the neighboring provinces.
“The increase of efficiency as well as productivity in agricultural sector is empirical in sustaining the economy as well as food security,” she said.
Abella said the proposed APTC will source out and sell products directly from the farmers and agri-processors within the locality or in target catchment areas.
“This will reduce the interventions of middlemen and, in turn, will provide consumers access to cheaper commodities,” she said.
Abella said she witnessed how the farmers were motivated to increase its production due to the increase profit brought by APTC during her visit in the APTCs in Sariyaya and Tayabas City in Quezon Province and Urdaneta City in Pangasinan.
Earlier, DA Secretary Proceso Alcala said the DA and Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte have agreed to form a team for the establishment of a P70-million food terminal in Daliao, Toril.
Alcala said the team will formulate a transparent mechanism for the bidding process of the project.
He said the project was supposed to be implemented last year but Duterte opposed the provision that the city government will be the one to implement it with funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Alcala said Davao City is the center of trade of the region and other neighboring regions.
If the food terminal is established outside Davao City, he fears that the money used will be wasted.
Alacala also the food terminal will “revolutionize” the agricultural sector in the city.
He said the facility could change the lives of the farmers because they can sell the products without the intervention of middlemen.
Duterte had earlier said he did not accept the project because he does not want to handle money. He said he just wanted the DA to give the facility to the city.
Duterte said he accepted the project but on the condition that teams from the city government and the DA will monitor it.