DAVAO CITY – Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Leo Tereso Magno vowed to lobby the concern of the Southern Philippine Development Authority (SPDA) about the implementation of the Agro-Industrial Development Program (AIDP) before the Office of the President.
MAGNO (FB)
Magno was among the guest speakers in the SPDA’s Collaborative Meeting with the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel of the Department of Justice (OGCC-DOJ) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in a hotel here on Thursday, January 25.
SPDA Administrator and Chief Executive Officer Abdulghani Ajul Salapuddin said the objective of the AIDP is to enhance the 26,000 hectares within the limits of Wao and Amai-Manabilang towns in Lanao del Sur, a province belonging to BARMM.
The lease agreement between the government through the SPDA and the private sector will bring significant advantages to farmers and residents in the region. They will benefit from employment opportunities, knowledge of modern farming technologies, and access to a ready market.
During their meeting, the SPDA presented their economic development plans that they want to push in Wao and Amai-Manabilang, which includes a farm lot that would serve as the source of income in the community.
The SPDA engaged international companies to guarantee that the cultivated crops would find their market. The goal of the SPDA is to maintain a balance in the economic progress of Southern Mindanao.
Given the instruction of the Special Assistant to President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. to assist the SPDA in their concerns, Magno said it is high time for the SPDA to proceed with its plans, especially as the agency has capable individuals and has solidified its plans and programs.
“I promise the SPDA that there will be more push from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao (OPAMINE). I will personally escort administrator Salapuddin to the concerned agencies,” Magno said.
Magno said that in addition to presenting the issues to the Office of the President, he will also seek help from different agencies, including the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
SPDA has been operational since 1975 as a government-owned and controlled corporation affiliated with the Office of the President. The agency believes that initiatives like AIDP will shift focus from battlegrounds to livelihood and development opportunities.