PGMA's Speech during the Launching of the National Seaweed and Seaweed Products Development and Promotion Program

PGMA's Speech during the Launching of the National Seaweed and Seaweed Products Development and Promotion Program

West Wing Function Room, Waterfront Hotel Lahug District, Cebu City (30 April 2003)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH SECRETARY CITO LORENZO FOR YOUR INTRODUCTION. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR FINALLY MAKING THIS MOA POSSIBLE.

PLEASE SIT DOWN.

I WOULD LIKE TO GREET, OF COURSE, THE GOVERNOR OF CEBU, GOVERNOR PABLING GARCIA. WE ARE HOLDING THIS SIGNING CEREMONY IN CEBU BECAUSE CEBU IS THE CAPITAL OF THE SEAWEED AND CARRAGEENAN INDUSTRY OF THE PHILIPPINES. I WOULD LIKE TO GREET THE CABINET MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE. YOU CAN SEE HOW MANY THEY ARE TO ILLUSTRATE HOW IMPORTANT THIS EVENT FOR US -- MY CHIEF OF STAFF BOBI TIGLAO; CITO, AS I'VE ALREADY GREETED; SECRETARY OF DENR BIBET GOZUN; WE HAVE UNDERSECRETARY OF DTI TOM AQUINO; UNDERSECRETARY OF DOST, ROGER PANLASIGUE; WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT OF THE LANDBANK, GARY TEVES; WE HAVE DEAN RHODORA AZANSA OF U.P.; AND TO REPRESENT THE INDUSTRY PART OF THE SEAWEED-CARRAGEENAN INDUSTRY, BENZO DACAY, THE PRESIDENT. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK MY FRIEND, ISMAEL ABUBAKAR FOR SPEAKING IN BEHALF OF THE OTHER SIDE, THE SEAWEED GROWERS. GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS MOA SIGNING POSSIBLE. FIRST, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEAWEED INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES OR SIAP. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DA, TO DENR, TO DILG BUT JOEY LINA STILL IN THE OTHER ROOM PRESIDING OVER THE MEETING OF THE BARANGAY CHAIRMEN, DOST, DTI, LANDBANK, U.P., CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT I AM THE SEAWEED AND CARRAGEENAN INDUSTRY FRIENDLY PRESIDENT. WELL, THAT'S BECAUSE I WAS STILL IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY WHEN THIS INDUSTRY STARTED TO GROW OR WHEN IT REALLY STARTED. I REMEMBER COMING TO CEBU DURING THE BIRTH OF THE SEAWEED INDUSTRY WHEN BENZON DACAY ONLY HAD 300 WORKERS TO START WITH. NOW HE HAS 1,500 WORKERS. THAT MEANS THAT SINCE THEN, IF YOU TAKE HIM AS THE MICROCOSM, THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN BY THAT MULTIPLE.

AND TODAY, IT IS TIME THAT WE LAUNCH OUR NATIONAL SEAWEED AND SEAWEED PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION. IT IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO CREATE MORE JOBS FOR FILIPINOS. WE HAVE ALMOST 4 MILLION FILIPINOS UNEMPLOYED AND THE SEAWEED INDUSTRY HAS SUCH A BIG POTENTIAL TO CLOSE THAT GAP IN EMPLOYMENT.

IN FACT, EVEN TODAY, EVEN BEFORE THIS MOA, THERE ARE ALREADY MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED FILIPINOS IN MINDANAO, IN THE VISAYAS, IN SOUTHERN LUZON WHO ARE SEAWEED FARMERS. WHY DO WE HAVE SEAWEED FARMERS IN SOUTHERN LUZON? YOU REMEMBER BENZON WHEN I WAS A SENATOR AND I CALLED YOU UP. I WAS WITH THE FARMERS OF CAMARINES NORTE, AND THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO BE SEAWEED FARMERS, TOO. AND I SAID, OK, I'LL CALL BENZON DACAY TO BUY YOUR SEAWEED, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE FARMERS IN SEAWEED IN SOUTHERN LUZON. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE MORE THAN 10,000 WHO WORK IN THE SEAWEED PROCESSING FIRMS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES, 1500 OF WHOM ARE THERE WITH BENZON.

LAST YEAR, TOTAL SEAWEED PRODUCTION WAS ALMOST 900,000 METRIC TONS. AND MINDANAO CONTRIBUTED 59 PERCENT OF THAT PRODUCTION. THAT'S WHY THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL BE A MEANS TO FURTHER THE PEACE AND ORDER SITUATION FOR MINDANAO.

LET'S FIND INSPIRATION FROM THE STORY OF HADJI SALI CALBI. WHERE IS HE? HADJI? THANK YOU FOR YOUR NICE WORDS BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL US YOUR STORY. SO I WILL TELL THEM YOUR STORY. HADJI SALI WAS A COMMANDER OF THE MNLF, TAMA? UNTIL HE STOPPED BEING A REBEL TO CONCENTRATE ON SEAWEED FARMING IN THE WATERS OF SITANGKAY IN TAWI-TAWI. SITANGKAY IS OUR SOUTHERNMOST TOWN IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS HALF AN HOUR HELICOPTER FROM SIPADAN. YOU GUYS TO SIPADAN BETTER BUT SITANGKAY IS ONLY HALF AN HOUR AWAY FROM THERE BY HELICOPTER. WELL, ANYWAY, HE WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF SEAWEED FARMING THERE, AND HE IS ACKNOWLEDGED AS HAVING CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF SEAWEED FARMERS IN TAWI-TAWI.

KAYA 'YUNG HINDI N'YA NAKAMIT NUNG REBELDE S'YA NAKAMIT N'YA NUNG NAGING SEAWEED FARMER S'YA.

I HOPE WE WILL SOON HAVE MANY FILIPINOS WHO WILL FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF HADJI SALI. THIS IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE WE HAVE WIDE COASTS IN OUR COUNTRY. 'YUNG SEAWEED NA ITO, ITONG CARRAGEENAN NA ITO, ANO BA ITO? WELL, I LEARNED ABOUT IT WHEN I WAS IN DTI. THE SEAWEED OR GULAMAN OR AGAR-AGAR, THAT IS DRIED AND THEN PROCESSED AS CARRAGEENAN BY THE BIG PROCESSORS IN CEBU, GROWS WELL IN THE SHALLOW PARTS OF OUR SEAS. IN ADDITION, ONE DOESN'T NEED MUCH CAPITAL TO ENGAGE IN SEAWEED FARMING.

OUR FIRST TARGET AREA FOR SEAWEED PRODUCTION IS MINDANAO, WHERE MOST OF OUR FRESH PRODUCE ARE SOURCED. WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN THIS PROGRAM IN ALL THE COASTAL MUNICIPALITIES OF MINDANAO.

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE AFTER ALL IN MY MINDANAO POLICY IS THAT OUR ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE SHOULD BE BOTH PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT. THE READINESS OF OUR TROOPS WILL NOT RELENT AS WE EXPLORE A BROADER FRONT IN PEACE TALKS AND DIPLOMACY. OUR ALLIES IN THE OIC -- AND I JUST MET WITH THEM AGAIN IN BANGKOK YESTERDAY -- AND OUR PEACE PARTNERS IN MINDANAO LIKE HADJI SALI REMAIN UNDAUNTED IN THEIR HOPES FOR A PRINCIPLED SETTLEMENT OF THE CONFLICT IN MINDANAO. WE WILL MEET HARASSMENTS WITH COUNTERFORCE, BUT WE WILL KEEP THE ROAD TO PEACE OPEN.

THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEACE IS LOOKING UP. THE VICTORY OF THE COALITION IN IRAQ HAS NEUTRALIZED TERRORIST HUBS OPERATING INTERNATIONALLY. OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE WITHIN THE ASEAN IS STRONG AND DETERMINED. I WAS JUST WITH ACTING PRIME MINISTER BADAWI YESTERDAY ON A ONE-ON-ONE WHILE THE OTHER ASEAN LEADERS WHERE HAVING THEIR PRESS CONFERENCE AND HE AFFIRM MALAYSIA'S CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT AND FACILITATE OUR PEACE PROCESS. WE HAVE LAUNCHED A MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT IN MUSLIM MINDANAO. AND WE HOPE THIS MOA WILL HELP IN THAT MASSIVE EFFORT FOR DEVELOPMENT. EXPLORATORY TALKS ARE ON STREAM. ALL THE CARDS ARE STACKED IN FAVOR OF PEACE.

SIAP, EVEN IF YOU'RE HERE IN CEBU CAN HELP BRING PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT TO MINDANAO WHEN REBEL RETURNEES AND WOULD-BE REBELS ENGAGE IN SEAWEED FARMING INSTEAD OF BELLIGERENT ACTIVITIES.

WHAT IS THIS SEAWEED ANYWAY AND HOW COME IT GIVES LIVELIHOOD TO ALL THESE PEOPLE? SEAWEEDS ARE MOST FAMILIAR TO US NOT REALLY IN THAT FORM WHICH IS A VERY NICE SALAD BUT AS GULAMAN. ALL OF US EAT GULAMAN -- THAT'S SEAWEED. SEAWEED'S ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR HEALTH AND TO OUR ECONOMY. TO OUR HEALTH, THEY'RE DELICIOUS, THEY'RE MINERAL-RICH. THEY ARE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN THE PREPARATION OF FOOD ADDITIVES AND THE PRODUCTION OF MEDICINES AND OTHER PRODUCTS THAT WE USE DAILY.

I'M GLAD TO SEE THE COORDINATED EFFORTS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND GOVERNMENT IN PROPAGATING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF OUR SEAWEED PRODUCTS.

WE WANT THIS TO BE A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM, NOT ONLY ABOUT PLANTING AND FARMING BUT ALSO ABOUT PRODUCTION, MARKETING, FINANCING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

WE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SO THAT WE CAN PRODUCE DISEASE-RESISTANT CULTIVARS. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR SEAWEED FARMERS TO SELL RAW SEAWEEDS IN SEMI-DRIED FORM. WE WILL PROVIDE THEM THE DRYING EQUIPMENT. THEY CAN AVAIL OF CREDIT FROM DA ESPECIALLY QUEDANCOR. THE DA TOGETHER WITH SIAP WILL SET UP A PILOT SEMI-PROCESSING PLANT IN SORSOGON TO PRODUCE SEAWEED CHIPS.

I ALSO WANT THE INDUSTRY TO IMPROVE BY FINDING MORE USES TO CARRAGEENAN, PARTICULARLY IN THE PRODUCTION OF MEDICINE AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS -- NOT JUST THE HAIR, ALL KINDS OF PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS. THIS IS AN AREA THAT SHOULD BE FURTHER EXPLORED BY THE DOST -- ROGER -- AND THE DA.

OUR NATIONAL SEAWEED PROGRAM HAS ENABLED THE PHILIPPINES TO ENJOY THE STATUS OF BEING THE WORLD'S NUMBER ONE SUPPLIER OF DRIED RAW SEAWEED AND NATURAL GRADE CARRAGEENAN. AND WE ARE NUMBER THREE AS PRODUCER OF FRESH SEAWEEDS, THE FIRST BEING CHINA AND THE SECOND, JAPAN.

LAST YEAR, OUR CARRAGEENAN EXPORTS REACHED 138 MILLION DOLLARS, 36 MILLION WERE FROM BENZON DACAY. WE HOPE THAT OUR HARVEST AS WELL AS THE WORTH OF OUR EXPORTS WILL BE HIGHER THIS YEAR AND THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS. THE DA, THROUGH BFAR, IS TARGETING A PRODUCTION INCREASE OF 17 PERCENT OR AN ADDITIONAL 151,000 METRIC TONS BY JUNE 2004, WHEN WE WILL HOPEFULLY BREACH ONE MILLION METRIC TONS BY THE TIME 2004.

TO MEET THIS TARGET, THE DA AND THE BFAR IN COOPERATION WITH SIAP, WILL ALSO ESTABLISH 104 NURSERIES NATIONWIDE -- 14 WILL BE SET UP HERE IN CENTRAL VISAYAS. GOVERNOR PABLING GARCIA SAID THAT YOU ARE NOW ALSO PRODUCING THE SEAWEEDS NOT JUST THE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT. OF COURSE, 59 OF THE NURSERIES WILL BE IN MINDANAO. THESE NURSERIES WILL PRODUCE SEEDLINGS FOR ALMOST 2,000 HECTARES OF SEAWEED FARMS WORTH ALMOST 500 MILLION PESOS IN THE MARKET.

I'M GLAD, THAT IN COORDINATION WITH THE DTI, SIAP IS FINALIZING THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION FOR PHILIPPINE CARRAGEENAN TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES OF THE U.S.

WHEN THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE U.S., THE TARIFF ON OUR CARRAGEENAN WILL BE LIFTED. THERE'LL BE NO TARIFF ON PHILIPPINE CARRAGEENAN THAT WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN OUR SEAWEED MARKET.

BUT BEFORE THE U.S. WILL ATTEND TO THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO SEE A SETTLEMENT OF A DISPUTE WITHIN THE SEAWEED INDUSTRY OF THE PHILIPPINES ITSELF THAT INVOLVES AN AMERICAN FIRM. AFTER ALL, THEY WANT TO PROTECT THEIR OWN INVESTORS.

SO, THIS AFTERNOON, BIBET WILL MEET THE INDUSTRY SO THAT HOPEFULLY, THIS INTRA- INDUSTRY DISPUTES CAN BE RESOLVED IN A WIN-WIN SOLUTION BECAUSE WE GOT TO WIN THAT U.S. MARKET EVEN MORE.

I'M ALSO ENCOURAGING FILIPINO SEAWEED PROCESSORS AND EXPORTERS TO LOOK AT CHINA AS A MARKET FOR OUR CARRAGEENAN AND OTHER SEAWEED-BASED PRODUCTS. YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE CHINA JOIN THE WTO, OUR TRADE RHYTHM HAS CHANGE FROM A 300 MILLION-DOLLAR DEFICIT TO A 700 HUNDRED-MILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS. SO, THAT'S A GOOD MARKET. AND CARRAGEENAN SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

I CALL ON ALL OF YOU TO SUSTAIN THE EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN OUR NATIONAL SEAWEED PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT ESPECIALLY IN MINDANAO BUT EVEN IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, EVEN IN A PROVINCE AS TRADITIONALLY PROSPEROUS AS THE PROVINCE OF CEBU.

DAGHANG SALAMAT KANINYONG TANAN!

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