Multi-million Benguet veggie facility issues settled; firm out

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet  -- Controversies  issues surrounding the construction of the P400 million Agri-Pinoy cold chain facility here to house veggies bound to different parts of the country particularly Metro Manila had been settled.

This, after Dep. of Agriculture  Secretary Proceso Alcala held a closed-door meeting with its stakeholders, including provincial and municipal government officials, here last week.

The Benguet Agri-Pinoy facility is being established within the strawberry farm and will have amenities to maintain the quality and freshness of the agricultural products.

An agricultural products processing area will also be set up as part of all the efforts to strengthen the industry in preparation for the implementation of the Asian Free Trade Agreement next year.

Pending the completion of the facility, trivial issues have hounded its construction such as the apparent instability of the building because of the use of supposed substandard materials and backfill soil for the base.

Another contentious issue was the information that the management of the facility will be given to National Agri Business Corporation (NABCor) Vice President HonestoBaniqued which quickly drew flak from Gov. Nestor Fongwan.

During the closed-door meeting, Alcala said: “NABCor is out of the picture here.”

He explained that the facility will be handled by a management team composed of representatives from the provincial and municipal governments; accredited farmers groups, DA and Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan’s office.

Alcala said the DA’s assistance for the completion of Phase II of the project, expected by the end of this year.

Fongwan said: “The meeting had been good, all the issues as to the management and construction quality of the facility have been settled.”