DA’s Pinol wants BAPTC to operate by December

AGGIE UPDATES

RedjieMelvicCawis

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol created a technical working group to look into making the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center(BAPTC) a fully operational facility which will benefit the farmers in the Cordillera.

The creation of the TWG emanated from the meeting of the Secretary with BAPTC steering committee and stakeholders last week.

The BAPTC meeting chaired by Piñol was attended by Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan, Gov. Cresencio Pacalso, La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda, DA Undersecretaries Evelyn Laviña and Ariel Cayanan, Director Roy Abaya, DA-CAR Regional Director Lorenzo Caranguian and a farmers' representative.

“I created a technical working group who would finish the work in two weeks time. I would like this facility to be fully operational in December para mapakinabangan ng farmers dito sa Benguet at sa Cordillera,” he said.

Piñol said the primary issue the TWG needs to resolve is why the farmers are not using the facilities of the BAPTC.  He cited lack of consultation before the facility was built. “They rushed the construction of the building without really defining what it’s all about.”

According to the secretary, the BAPTC  which was constructed at a cost of over P800 million, opened in December 2015 but until the time he first visited it in June of this year, there was none of the projected 1,500-metric tons supposed to be traded daily in the center.

The TWG is headed by DA Usec.  Cayanan. It will include farmers and disposers as members, to review and amend the mandate of the BAPTC.

The steering committee also agreed that a chief operating officer will be appointed to manage the BAPTC.