PHILIPPINE Export Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Charito Plaza has called for a meeting with Ibaloi land owners at Peza.
Plaza said a program which poses a win–win solution for Peza and the first settlers of the city maybe in horizon with the success of the similar project in Agusan Del Sur.
The Peza official added the indigenous peoples at Agusan agreed to lease out their land to Peza and relocate their residence to be able to earn from their ancestral domain and still keep it under their property.
Plaza said the same program is set for the city as Ibaloi resident’s stake their claim at the Peza areas.
“A meeting with the NCIP and the DENR is in order as well as IP residents of the area, they (the IP’s) will not lose ownership of the land, we will help them develop it,” Plaza added.
Plaza said in Agusan, legitimate land owners have been identified by NCIP and DENR and were consulted and directly spoken to by PEZA before arriving at the agreement on land use.
The same agreement is being eyed in the city to be able to fully utilize land in the area.
Plaza said there are 1,600 LGUs in the country and Peza has already established 400 eco – zones which has benefitted each host community.
In Baguio City, Peza has contributed millions annually to the economy enabling the city to stand on its own and not dependent on IRA. In 2013, PEZA contributed P235M followed by P224M the following year.
In 2015, 2016 and 2017 there was P194M, P160M and P225M contributed by Peza and in 2018 and 2019, there were P201M and P188M respectively.