TAWI-TAWI — As part of its continued efforts in reviving the poultry industry in the Bangsamoro region, the Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism (MTIT) held an investment forum and business matching with 150 potential poultry growers from this province.
Held in Bongao Municipality on Dec. 22, some of the participants included former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
This is the third time the MTIT, through its Bureau of Investments (BOI), conducted the activity in the region, the first was in Cotabato City on Aug. 19 and then in Sulu province on Sept. 21.
Due to weak consumer demand brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has recorded the biggest annual decline of -50.6 percent in poultry products — from 1,708 metric tons lightweights in 2020’s first quarter to 844 metric tons lightweights in 2021’s first quarter.
MTIT aims to recover from this decline through providing investment information, capacity building, and opportunities to those who are interested to venture into poultry business.
“We are hopeful that this activity will help revive the industry, generate investment leads that will eventually become full blown enterprises and propel the creation of jobs and income for the Bangsamoro,” Deputy Minister Atty. Sukarno Abas has previously said.
The activities were held in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), the Philippine Halal Manok Corporation (PHMC), the LandBank of the Philippines (LBP), and and Amanah Islamic Bank (AIB).
Aside from the investments forum and business matching, MTIT-BOI was also in Tawi-Tawi to conduct an orientation on its Networking Investment for Local Executives (NILE) project and Investments Priorities Plan (IPP).
“We are here to explain to the people of Tawi-Tawi, particularly those involved in business, tourism, industry and so forth, the mandates of MTIT-BARMM which aims to promote and tap potential businesses and investments in the region,” Minister Abuamri Taddik said in an interview.
According to MTIT-BOI Director Shamera Abobakar, NILE project is are capacity building program designed to empower the local government units be “investment ready”.
A similar orientation was held with the LGUs of Basilan earlier on Nov. 25. [Read related story: MTIT orients Basilan LGUs on networking investments for local execs, investment priorities plan]
Both the provincial government and the municipal government of Bongao expressed gratitude to MTIT for its effort in introducing programs that will pave the way for constituents to indulge in business and investments to improve their standard of living. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
