KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 28 February) – Two new businesses worth about P130 million were accredited by the Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI), the agency revealed Tuesday.
Mohammad Pasigan, BBOI chair, identified the newly-approved investments as M & R Layer Poultry Farm in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao del Norte and the Timako Seafood Resto in Cotabato City.
Pasigan invited more investors to pour capital in the BARMM, which is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato, and 63 villages in North Cotabato known as the Special Geographic Area.
He said their promotion is anchored on the region’s Strategic Investment Priorities Plan (SIPP), which covers agriculture, fisheries, infrastructure, energy, tourism and halal industry, among others.
“BBOI will exert more efforts in promoting (the region’s) investment (potentials) by conducting BARMM – wide SIPP consultations and will even go out of its way to attract investors through business coaching and investment facilitation,” Pasigan said in a statement.
M & R Layer Poultry Farm, which is engaged in the production of halal eggs in Barangay (village) Buliok, invested P107 million for the project seen to generate about 100 jobs.
“This is the second approved investment of the BBOI focusing on the halal industry. BARMM is now in the process of developing and promoting halal industries as a mode of achieving equity and justice among our farmers and producers, and increasing employment opportunities for the domestic labor force,” said Trade Minister Abu Amri Taddik, an ex-officio member of the BBOI.
The Bangsamoro region must make its halal industry more competitive through, among others, research and product development, quality assurance measures and value-adding mechanisms for BARMM to carve a name in the regional and international halal markets, he added.
On the other hand, the Timako Bay Seafood Resto is investing P22.5 million for a tourism-related facility and attraction located in Barangay Kalanganan II, Cotabato City.
The proponent aims to come up with a halal restaurant by the beach, with a function hall that can accommodate a maximum of 200 persons.
“The coronavirus pandemic had a devastating impact on the restaurant industry. Hopefully, this registration will significantly (attract) the possibilities of putting up more restaurants to boost the economy of the region,” Member of Parliament Suharto Ambolodto, a member of BBOI’s Board of Governors.
Last month, the BBOI registered three investments worth P475 million.
These are the Beauty of Life Beach Resort, KS Agricultural Products Trading and Shahada Medical and Diagnostic Clinic, all Filipino-owned ventures. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
