AMAI MANABILANG, LANAO DEL SUR (16 July 2021) – The former mayor and incumbent Administrator of the Municipality of Amai Manabilang, this province, had challenged Southern Philippines Development Authority’s (SPDA’s) new business partner, Lanao del Sur Corn Development Corporation (LDSCDC), to fast-track the implementation of the agribusiness partnership to be established within proclaimed SPDA agricultural lands in this municipality.
LDSCDC is an affiliate of Asia Pacific Precision Agriculture Group (ASPAC AG) and was represented by its Director and Authorized Representative, Mr. Wilson T. De Vera, and Mr. Eduardo dela Fuente, Jr., Vice President for Operations during a courtesy visit Thursday (15 July 2021) at the mayor’s office of this municipality.
Sultan Mastura D. Manabilang, former Mayor and incumbent Administrator of the municipality, had challenged all the stakeholders of the said agribusiness partnership to expedite its implementation and said: “dahil ito ay napakagandang maibibigay natin sa mga tao”. His son, Mayor Jamal E. Manabilang, was not in his office during this visit.
Administrator Manabilang had expressed hope that through the SPDA- LDSCDC partnership, huge farmlands in the municipality may be developed using the modern and state-of-the-art farming technology.
Manabilang, who has been 30 years in government service and 12 years as mayor of the municipality, said “nakakaawa talaga ang mga tao rito” because they lack the needed knowledge and skills in modern farming, but expressed appreciation to the local residents here as they have contributed so much on the province’s economy.
He assured the potential investors of a stable peace and order condition in the locality, adding “mababait ang mga tao rito”. Before, he added: “maraming problema ang mga tao” and they had no houses, “wala silang ibang malapitan kundi ang Local Government Unit (LGU) lamang,” Manabilang further said that it is very important to effectively explain to the people the parameters in the modernized farming operations including the benefits that all the stakeholders may get.
Formerly the Municipality of Bumbaran, a third class municipality in the Province of Lanao del Sur with seventeen barangays, it was renamed as the Municipality of Amai Manabilang during the second quarter of 2018 per Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 316, series of 2014, and was ratified through a plebiscite on 7 April 2018.
Manabilang disclosed that not all his constituents in this municipality are Muslims. He said 98% of the population in Barangay Frankfort are Christians and they represent 13.61% of the total residents in the entire municipality of 17 barangays based in the 2015 census.
In a letter dated 12 July 2021 to Amai Manabilang Municipal Mayor Jamal E. Manabilang through the office of Sultan Mastura D. Manabilang, the municipal administrator, SPDA Administrator Abdulghani ‘Gerry’ A. Salapuddin requested a courtesy visit at the Mayor’s Office in the morning of 15 July 2021.
Braving and unperturbed by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic that heavily battered the country for almost two years now, the technical team of the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) based in Davao City, had proceeded to the Municipality of Amai Mabilang in the Province of Lanao del Sur.
The SPDA contingent included Operations Manager Cris B. Dagala; Corporate Board Secretary Thelma Silfide C. Alicaway; Executive Assistant III Celestino B. Siglos; Project Development Officer V Engr. Jose M. Enriquez, Jr.; Engr. Pacing Pascual, Consultant; Architect Justine Alfaro; and Engr. Aegie E. Flores, Project Development Officer III; and Mr. Salic Abantas of the SPDA Field Office.
(Celestino B. Siglos, Ed.D.)
