BUTUAN CITY - A proposed P300-million banana plantation investment is set to boost the economic activity in this city in the Caraga region, officials said Thursday.
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Officials of the Butuan city government said a boom in banana production will be a big boost to the local economy and nearby areas.
Butuan will focus on economic investments to make it more progressive and globally competitive city in northeastern Mindanao, Dr. Ferdinand Amante, Jr. said during his address before leaders of the business community and officials of the city government on Wednesday.
"Let us improve our economy with the help of our partner investors," Amante said.
"They will invest here not only to earn but above all they want to help turn around our economy," the new chief executive of the city said.
Earlier, in a radio interview, Amante mapped out poverty eradication strategies.
He announced the coming in of some big companies such as banana plantation growers, agricultural and soft drinks companies and other investors, both foreign and domestic.
He said a company is already eyeing a 300-hectare banana plantation in Barangay Cabcabon in this city.
Amante also called on other newly inducted officials and all workers in the city government to help him plan poverty eradication strategies in uplifting the economic condition of the poor people who are still living below poverty line despite the city's seemingly "progressive physical" appearance that the new commercial buildings along the national highway seem to project.
Looking at the challenge to combat poverty, the new city chief executive urged his fellow government officials to join hands and design action programs "that will improve productivity of farms to increase income and provide food for the table."
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He also called for capacity-building trainings and financial assistance programs to provide employment to the poor.
"I am enjoining our barangay leaders to spearhead this task in their respective barangays," Amante said.
He also pointed out the need to come up with health strategies by cleaning up all esteros, drainage, canals and other eyesores that endanger the health of Butuanons.
The new city chief executive also vowed to upgrade the immediate needs of the Butuan Medical Center.
Investing on healthcare and social welfare systems is one of the mechanisms that Amante has identified to arrest poverty in Butuan.
"Our focus is anti-poverty, a pro-poor agenda that would pave the way for poverty reduction and make direct investments to benefit poor families. Good health, more investments is our foundation for growth," Amante said Officials said the city government will conduct a review and streamline the operations of various departments in the city government.
The Amante administration will try to save money and enhance development resources for progress in this region's capital city.
Meanwhile, the nearby new city of Cabadbaran expects a boost in economic activity as the Cabadbaran Fruits Corporation is expanding their banana plantation. The banana firm has started production of their 300-hectare cavendish plantation.
The company is also planning the establishment of another 2,000-hectare plantation in nearby Sibagat town, in Agusan del Sur province.
A Banana Cluster composed of banana producers of Cavendish, Cardava, Latundan and Lakatan, banana chips processors and traders in the Caraga region are planning to have 10,000 hectares of banana plantation in the next five years at various areas in the region, said Region Xlll Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Director Brielgo O. Pagaran.
