By Ian John M. Lagare
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (23 June 2014) – City Mayor Ronnel Rivera got the support of Senator Cynthia Villar for his thrust to develop and give opportunities to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the agricultural business sector in the city.
On Friday (June 20, 2014), Senator Villar, Senate Committee Head on Agriculture, graced the opening of the 12th Yaman Gensan organized by the General Santos City Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council Inc. (GSCSMEDCI), in coordination with Mayor Rivera.
During the event, Senator Villar lauded the efforts of Mayor Rivera for GenSan to have a more business-friendly atmosphere.
“I have attended several big conferences and events here, including the 23rd Hog Convention and 17th Dairy Congress, in which I have seen the effort of Mayor Rivera in opening opportunities for the city,” Sen. Villar said.
“You can find many good things here in GenSan and all over in Mindanao. Some of my business ideas came here based on the things that I’ve seen,” the senator added.
One of the priority areas that Mayor Rivera want to develop during his administration is in making GenSan the agri-industrial hub of Region 12.
Mayor Rivera said this is possible because of the strategic location of General Santos City as an entry and exit point of products.
The mayor has already submitted to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala a list of possible projects and budget allocations for the city.
Currently, the mayor is hoping that the P200 million worth of projects he proposed to the Department of Agriculture will be approved.
That project proposal is for the creation of the Integrated Food Terminal (IFT) and for the development of the mango industry in the city.
On May 7, Secretary Alcala turned over to Mayor Rivera the certificate of completion of the newly-developed General Santos City Soils Laboratory at Barangay Lagao.
“Many of our businesses here are involved in agriculture. We want to give them a chance to grow and that is our objective in this 12th Yaman Gensan. Of course, the same support will be given to other small and starting businesses,” Mayor Rivera stated.
According to Senator Villar, two-thirds of the country’s population is directly or indirectly involved in agriculture.
“But these individuals are facing constraints too. Example, coconut farmers here in Mindanao earn less than P50 a day. In the country, the daily income of a farmer is P156 while for the fishermen, P178,” the senator said.
“My mandate is to raise the standards of living of farmers and fishermen because we also consider them as entrepreneurs. That’s why I’m happy that Mayor Rivera and GSCSMEDCI are having this event to promote the same advocacy,” Senator Villar added.
Nieda Ramos, a health product entrepreneur selling in GenSan, expressed her support for the 12th Yaman Gensan and its drive to give better opportunities to small businesses like them. Ramos’ Cresing’s Foods from Maitum, Sarangani produces organic rice coffee and corn coffee, and the MASE Juice made of brown rice, lemongrass and fruit extracts. (GENSAN CPIO/Ian John M. Lagare)
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