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Thursday, January 19, 2006
Trade prods C. Luzon provinces to trade Aurora products
By Dante M. Fabian
ANGELES CITY -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is encouraging businessmen in Central Luzon to look into the three major opportunities found from the abundant resources in Aurora province.
Blesilda Lantayona, DTI 3 regional director, announced that Aurora province currently offers three major potential business projects for interested investors, companies and funding institutions geared towards turning Aurora into a producer of these consumer products.
According to Lantayona, these projects are the proposed seaweed culture and production project; the expansion of the small-scale coco wine production project, both in Casiguran town; and the virgin coconut oil production project in San Luis town.
"Aurora beckons as a frontier for investment or business projects with its rich natural resources and proximity to the Central Luzon provinces of Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pampanga via two operational routes - the Pantabangan-Canili-Maria Aurora route and the Bongabon-San Luis route," Lantayona said.
She added that Aurora province awaits takers of the three business offers with its abundant resources such as coconut plantation and vast area available for seaweed culture and propagation.
The proposed seaweed culture and production project eyes the development of a 500-hectare production farm in the Casiguran Bay. Initial survey shows that the euchema seaweed species can be ideally grown in Casiguran Bay and can be cultured to produce carageenan.
DTI said carageenan has numerous commercial and industrial applications such as becoming a food binder, gelling agents in processed foods, emulsifiers for dairy products, meat and poultry, and for pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Investors, DTI said, can profitably cash-in on this carageenan farm project as it is fully supported by the local government of Casiguran.
Cooperation sought by the local cooperative/operator in the area are on provisions for technology equipment for processing, post-harvest handling techniques and marketing tie-ups. Initial project estimates pegged the project cost at P12.5 million.
The coco wine production project seeks to further develop and improve the capability of Aurora coco wine producers into engaging in a more commercial scale either through improvement in their current manufacturing facilities and technologies.
Coco wine products have already undergone the process of getting Bureau of Food and Drugs (Bfad) accreditation. Both the provincial government under Governor Bellaflor Angara Castillo and Mayor Reynaldo T. Bitong of Casiguran town have closely promoted coco wine production.
With the vast coconut plantations in the province, coco wine production can easily be sustained in commercial quantities over the long term if market demands would grow even better. Project cost is initially estimated at P2.7 million.
Aside from coco wine products, another winning product found in Aurora is the virgin coconut oil (VCO). With the rise in demand for virgin coconut oil products, Aurora producers can supply part of this demand by producing its own virgin coconut oil products. The cooperation sought is on the financial assistance on the establishment of a modern production center for virgin coconut oil products. Project cost estimates is P1.65 million.
Interested parties can contact the Aurora Provincial Government and or the Central Luzon Investment Promotion Center, the region's investment promo center in Angeles City.
(January 19, 2006 issue)
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