Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Land Bank helps boost countryside development
ALABEL, Sarangani -- The Land Bank of the Philippines funded a fleet of brand new heavy equipment for Sarangani province to spur countryside development and open investment areas, officials said.
"We always look at the LGUs (local government units) as our strongest partner in countryside development," said Gilda Pico, Land Bank acting president and chief executive officer.
Pico, who attended the blessing and official turn-over of the fleet Friday, said Land Bank has a "very big contribution to the pump-priming program of the (National) Government and the LGUs."
It was the first time since its creation 14 years ago that Sarangani Province acquired brand new heavy equipment.
The Provincial Engineering Office's new units are six 6-wheeler dumptrucks, five 10-wheeler dumptrucks, two motor graders, two wheel loaders, two backhoes, two road rollers and a reconditioned low-bed trailer.
The engineering office said the total cost of the heavy equipment financed by was P110-million.
"We are the biggest lender to the LGUs," Pico said.
"We hope that we can still be of service to the province by way of additional facilities for your projects."
Governor Miguel Dominguez said the philosophy of Land bank in bringing development in the countryside has been strengthened further by the "partnership that we have been creating and will create for our people."
"In the past many people look at the country's performance usually looking at urban cities such as Manila, Davao Cebu and General Santos," Dominguez said.
"But many people fail to realize that majority of our area and our resources have been left untapped. In Sarangani we only utilized about 30 percent of our land area for productive means," the governor said.
Dominguez said resources must be partnered with investments to create products.
He added that the new equipment would be used to open up the countryside to investments, to additional development and job generation.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (September 19, 2006 issue)
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