Processing plant inauguration on July 21
PRESIDENT NOYNOY INVITED
THE plans for the opening and inauguration of the RP/Dagupan-Korea Seafood Processing Plant on July 21 are afoot with President-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. and his appointed agriculture secretary as special guests.
Fourth District Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. and Dr. Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center, a research facility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the idea was shared by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The PhP110-million fish processing plant was funded from a grant of the Korean government, through the KOICA.
Rosario said the newly designated Korean ambassador to the Philippines is also expected to attend the opening.
De Venecia, who was instrumental in acquiring the funding, said he will personally extend the invitation to the Korean foreign minister even if he will already be a private citizen by July 20.
The grand opening will be a sequel to the soft opening of the project held last April 18 as one of the highlights of the 2010 Dagupan Bangus Festival.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
Rosario, interim manager of the project, said the Korean group and their Philippine counterpart have agreed to create an interim management team composed of representatives from the stakeholders to lay out the policies for the operation of the facility.
The stakeholders include the BFAR, the Dagupan City government, Department of Trade and Industry, fish processors in Dagupan, and local bangus growers.
City Agriculture Officer Emma Molina and a representative of Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. currently stand as the local counterparts of the Korean group supervising the construction of the project.
After the grand opening, at least two trial runs will be conducted prior to the facility’s full commercial operation to streamline flow and procedures.
All modern equipment needed by the plant is now in place, all of which were shipped from Korea.
Rosario said the only remaining work involves the completion of the waste-water treatment facility and the landscaping of the two-hectare plant site.
Under the memorandum of agreement signed by the Korean ambassador, then Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr., the cost of putting up the sewerage treatment plant will be bankrolled by local funds.
Rosario said it is currently being discussed which agency should finance that part.
At the same time, KOICA is now negotiating with the Department of Agriculture for the post-construction phase of the project.–LM
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