BOI to promote Bukidnon industrial zone

MANILA, Philippines — The Board of Investments (BOI) plans to invite global investors and businesses, particularly in the agriculture and food production sectors to invest in the 40-hectare Bukidnon industrial zone, highlighting its competitive advantages.

In a statement yesterday, the BOI said its Investments Assistance Service recently facilitated a meeting with local government officials of Bukidnon, which focused on the development and promotion of the Bukidnon Domestic Industrial Zone.

“This endeavor is very promising and we truly believe in Bukidnon’s potential to be a global food manufacturing hub,” said Trade Undersecretary and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo during a meeting with Bukidnon local government officials led by Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque, Vice Gov. Clive Quiño, and First District Rep. Jose Manuel Alba.

According to the BOI, the industrial zone located at Barangay Dicklum, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, boasts a complete access road, power and water supply, and perimeter fences.

It said the industrial zone is also accessible to and from the Mindanao International Container Port and the soon-to-be operational Don Carlos Bukidnon Domestic Airport.

In the meeting, the Bukidnon Provincial Planning and Development Office presented the competitive advantages of the province and why the province would be an ideal location for a domestic industrial zone.

The BOI, in turn, committed to assist the local government in promoting the industrial zone by inviting possible developers and locators.

“To realize this, we are proposing to schedule a series of roundtable meetings with industry stakeholders and industrial zone developers in the next three months from January, to solicit inputs and interests and ready the industrial zone for strategic promotions,” Rodolfo said.

“We are looking at showcasing this kind of investment opportunity in international roadshows in countries like South Korea, which can potentially bring their food production facilities to Bukidnon,” he said.

Known as the food basket of Southern Philippines (Mindanao), the BOI said Bukidnon has a progressive agriculture-based economy with products such as pineapple, tomato, coffee, rubber, cattle, and bamboo.

“With high altitude, relatively flat land area, and consistently good weather, Bukidnon also boasts of its competitive advantages for the agri-industry,” the BOI said, adding that the province is among the top producers of regular bamboo and has the most abundant supply of Asper or giant bamboo in the country.

“The province’s opportunity-driven infrastructure, including improved all-weather provincial road networks and enhanced barangay connectivity, serve as facilitating factors for greater economic development,”the BOI said.

Bukidnon already hosts big players in the food production business, including Del Monte Philippines, Inc., Republic Biscuit Corp. and Liwayway Marketing Corp., which may help attract similar projects to consider Bukidnon as their investment destination.

The province is also targeting investors in the bamboo industry and those whose activities support sustainable development and reduced carbon footprint.

“With agriculture, forestry and fishery as main economic drivers, Bukidnon is hailed as the fifth richest province in the country in 2022 by the Commission on Audit,” the BOI said.