AMAI MANABILANG, Lanao del Sur (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that it will support the Agro-Industrial Development Program (AIDP) of the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SDPA) in this municipality. 

“I will see to it that PEZA [Philippine Economic Zone Authority] and DA will promote and develop this further as an agro-industrial business corridor,” said DA Sec. William Dar during the launching of the AIDP program. 

Dar shared that PEZA and DA already have signed a memorandum of agreement that commits them to facilitate the creation of agro-industrial and aquamarine economic zones in the country.

The agriculture chief said that DA can assist in setting up the Agriculture Training Technology Institute under the wings of SPDA. He likewise said that the resources of their agency are available to support them. 

“Meron tayong Agricultural Training Institute dito every region. We can share lessons. We can have our faculty or members of ATI be part of your trainers program. Nanjan parati ang resources ng DA [The resources of DA are always available] to work with you,” he said. 

Dar said they will provide four 64 horse-powered tractors with attachments by next year. If additional income is needed to develop the area, he said that they can link them with the Land Bank of the Philippines that has enough funding to support agri-industrial development in the country. 

The agriculture secretary also suggested that they can apply to the income tax holidays of the Board of Investments. He said that they can also look into the benefits of the Republic Act (RA) No. 11534, otherwise known as the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act which was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a fiscal relief to domestic and foreign corporations doing business in the Philippines.

“What the CREATE law encourages is the setting up of more agri-industries in rural areas. And here this being located in Amai Manabilang, you're more than within the parameters of this law,” he said. (LELA/ PIA Lanao del Sur)