PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be in Davao region Tuesday to inspect projects and programs under the Mindanao Super Region, said a presidential spokesperson.
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo, however, did not disclose the exact itinerary of the President's visit.
During the Kapihan sa SM media forum Monday, Saludo also presented to the local media a summary of the projects within the super region, with emphasis on the achievements attained through the people's cooperation.
"These are not the achievements of the government but of the Filipinos. The credit is to all the farmers," Saludo said.
Saludo said the major accomplishments of the fertilizer, irrigation, extension, loans, dryers, and seeds (Fields) program, which boost agribusiness through the cultivation of production, are as follows:
* Provision of environment-friendly and low-cost affordable fertilizers through 322 units of composting facilities in the whole of Mindanao.
* From 2001 to 2009, 43,224 hectares of farmlands were provided irrigation while 315,756 hectares were restored/ rehabilitated.
* About P8.96 billion was spent from 2001 to 2009 to complete the construction and rehabilitation of 4,427.62 kilometers of Farm-to-Market Roads (FMRs), which improved the delivery of agricultural products as the accessibility of farms was enhanced and hauling costs reduced.
* Fifteen mariculture parks were established from 2001 to 2009.
* Provision of “Extension Services and Trainings” that equipped 1,029 farmers through 36,620 various agricultural technology trainings and orientations on new technologies and practices in modern agriculture from 2008 to 2009.
* Provision of P4.77 billion worth of loans to 154,536 farmer-beneficiaries through the Land Bank and Agro-Industry Modernization Credit and Financing Program (AMCFP) from 2008 to 2009.
On support infrastructure projects which strengthen agribusiness:
*From 2001 to 2009, P51.68 billion was spent for the construction and/or improvement of 6,557.47 kms of roads and 37,734.23 linear meters (lms) of bridges. Of which almost 1,000 kms of roads were in Davao Region.
*Five seaports and one roll on/roll off (RoRo) port were constructed in the supperregion while 33 others were upgraded, including 10 RoRo ports amounting to about P5.44 billion from 2001 to 2009.
*From 2001 to 2009, the government has completed upgrading and improvement works in 21 existing airports worth a total of P26.89 billion, which includes P6.4-billion spent for the Davao International Airport in the city.
Saludo said agro-processing, which includes agro-industries, distribution, and trading activities, roughly account for more than 50 percent of developing countries’ gross domestic product (GDP).
"Agribusiness today is seen as more than just a commodity industry. It is now a driver of national economies. These support projects are all very contributory to the superregion's strength on agribusiness," Saludo said.
The Mindanao Super Region's competitive advantage lies in the super region's fertile lands, river systems, a typhoon-free climate, and a people with an agribusiness mindset, Saludo said.
The super region is composed of Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao except Camiguin, Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga except Siargao, and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and occupy one-third of the Philippines’ total land area.
Saludo said projects have been "poured" in the super region with the recognition that the area has the poorest regions and provinces in the country, making it more vulnerable to conflicts and unrest.
"We have continued to support agribusiness not just as an engine of growth but also as means of sustaining peace. Insurgency crop up from poverty. Peace and order can be achieved by cutting the appeal of the extremists," Saludo said.