JORDAN, Guimaras — Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday attended the province’s 2nd Bamboo Summit which advocates the cultivation of its bamboo industry as another economic investment.
Known as the country’s producers of top quality carabao mangoes, Duterte congratulated the local government and the people of Guimaras for introducing another investment opportunity that would help them regain the losses brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Isa itong palatandaan na sadyang hindi masusukat ang taglay na kayamanan ng Pilipinas — at ang kayamanang ito, kung gagamitin natin sa tamang pamamaraan, ay magbibigay sa atin ng dagdag na hanap-buhay,” the Vice President said.
“But there is more to Guimaras apart from its world-class mangoes — and I am truly pleased to know that local government officials and the people of the island are helping each other, supporting each other, promote the Guimaras Bamboo industry,” she added.
She said the industry, which provides income opportunities, “will benefit local farmers, bamboo artisans, and traders, who will be instrumental in establishing and improving the value chain.”
Duterte also revealed that the national government has been synergising with the business community and economic drivers as the country pushes with its economic recovery efforts.
“The Philippine Chamber of Commerce will gather industry players in the Visayas Region on Friday — to talk about ways to move forward, rebuild from their losses, and develop creative approaches to investment in a world we now call ‘the new normal’,” Duterte said.
The Vice President also announced that business industry players will meet at the Manila Hotel on Friday. “And at the heart of the gathering sits our micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) community who are also eager to recover from the impact of the pandemic,” she added.
She said the Filipinos’s resiliency embodies the characteristics of a bamboo.
Former President and now Pampanga 2nd District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also attended the Agri-Tourism and Bamboo Summit.
OVP MEDIA