[Please sit down.]

Thank you to Secretary Fred Pascual of the Department of Trade and Industry; and our good friend, the Governor Dodo Mandanas, that has made Batangas province a very progressives province and is an example to the rest of the country in many aspects; the President and Chief Executive Officer of Mega Prime Foods Incorporated William Tiu Lim, and I also understand that we should greet him Happy Birthday today [applause] [Happy Birthday]. Akala niya siguro maitatago niya pero nalaman ko kaya’t we will celebrate his birthday. This is as good a way to celebrate  a birthday as I can think; the Chief Operating Officer of the Mega Prime Foods Incorporated Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan [applause]; my fellow workers in government; other distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

My congratulations go out to Mega Prime Foods Incorporated on the inauguration of the Mega Manufacturing Plant. This expansive and modern manufacturing facility that houses state-of-the-art production machineries, world-class research and development, a cold storage facility, a modern steam-dry fishmeal plant, and furthermore  a solar array that is helping to power the plant with green energy.

It fills me with pride to know that we have a Filipino company that is a pioneer in innovations in the canned sardine industry and easy-open can sardine in the Philippines.

The inauguration of this facility comes at a time when we are navigating the waters of the new normal and recovering from the losses incurred from a global pandemic.

The ceremony’s theme, “Weaving Filipino Heritage and Global Innovation,” speaks well of our capacity to integrate our cultural capital into products and services in this highly globalized world.

Because of this, our innovation is marked by excellence that is truly Filipino.  We thank the Mega Prime Foods Incorporated for securing this path for other sectors to follow.

The addition of the Mega Manufacturing Plant here in Santo Tomas will contribute to the achievement of the government’s target of a 10% annual increase in approved investments in the agribusiness sector. This is one of the key targets under the 2023-2028 Philippine Development Plan.

Moreover, this plant will help meet the rising local demand for [canned] sardines, with its expected capacity to produce more than 11,600 metric tons. This fills up 27% of our local supply insufficiency in canned sardines.

This will greatly contribute to our efforts in ensuring food security and making seafood more convenient to consume for families across the country, especially during times [of crises].

This project also supports the administration’s initiatives to fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Decent Work and Economic Growth.

This project expects to generate even more jobs and economic opportunities for our people.

I thus express my utmost gratitude to the MPFI for being an instrument of economic and social progress for our Filipinos.

And furthermore, you serve as an inspiration to all those who dream and start with a small business. For those who do not know, this business Mega Food started as Wilmar in Bicol in 1975 and look at it now. And that is what we can do. And furthermore, it is an example of what we in agriculture and agribusiness are hoping to demonstrate to all our investors the ability to scale up from what can be a backyard kind of business slowly building it up to a very modern and very, very high production capacity like we see here today.

I am certain that your achievements will continue to lead our way towards success both here and abroad.

As we embark on this journey towards genuine unity, I hope that you will remain steadfast in your commitment to providing Filipino families with the most innovative, high-quality, and best value-for-money food [products] that we will see in the years ahead.

Once again, congratulations Mega Prime Foods, Incorporated! Mabuhay kayong lahat! Mabuhay po ang Mega Prime and the assistance that they are giving to our countrymen and for all the inspiration that we can gather from such a success story.

Mabuhay po tayong lahat at magandang tanghali po sa inyong lahat. [applause]

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Watch here: Inauguration and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony of Mega Manufacturing Plant

Location: Mega Manufacturing Plant, Sto. Tomas City, Batangas