NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA) Western Visayas Regional Director John Robert Hermano has inspected the proposed new site for the agency's provincial office in Bago City.
Hermano visited the site in Barangay Tabunan Tuesday, March 5, along with NFA- Western Visayas Regional Engineer Remy Tamson, NFA-Negros Occidental Manager Frisco Canoy and Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol earlier announced that the NFA Council (NFAC)has already approved the transfer of the provincial office.
The NFA-Negros Occidental’s new office and buying station will rise on a property beside the Provincial Government-owned rice processing complex, a facility supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The proposed site is about two hectares, Piñol said, adding that Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. formally requested the relocation of the provincial office from its current location on Gatuslao St. in Bacolod City.
Canoy said Hermano wanted to see the situation in the proposed site so he can make the necessary suggestions and recommendations to the central office.
Canoy said the transfer may take some time as requirements for the development of the new office have yet to be complied, including the designs.
“Other works like creation of staff work design are ongoing,” he said. The office can program the development after the awarding of the contract.
The transfer will take time, depending on when the development will be completed—definitely not this year, the provincial manager also said.
Piñol, also the chairman of the NFAC, said the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental has allocated P50 million for the construction of the NFA office building and grains silos.
During his visit to Negros Occidental last October, the DA chief also inspected the proposed area.
“I found the place very good,” Piñol said, adding that “from my perspective, I am asking why we should maintain a warehouse and office for a grains agency in the middle of the city. We should be where the rice fields are, where the rice farmers are.”
For his part, Marañon earlier said he has been pushing for the transfer of the NFA provincial office for the grains agency to have more space.
He noted that the road beside the NFA building is part of the land sold by the Provincial Government to property giant Ayala Land Inc., which has ongoing developments in the area. (EPN)