AMAI MANABILANG, LANAO DEL SUR (16 July 2020) – With the apparent all-out support committed by former Mayor Sultan Mastura D. Manabilang, the incumbent administrator of the Municipality of Amai Manabilang, this province, Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) Administrator and Chief Executive Officer ABDULGHANI ‘Gerry’ A. SALAPUDDIN has expressed optimism that the proposed agricultural venture between the SPDA and Kennemer Foods International, Inc. shall push through amid the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
This developed following a courtesy call made by the SPDA officials, technical staff, and Kennemer’s high ranking official Thursday, 16 July 2020, at the Municipal Mayor’s office in Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur.
“I am elated and excited to launch this agri venture with Kennemer as soon as we shall have finalized the plan and made the necessary coordination with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other government agencies concerned”, SPDA Administrator Abdulghani ‘Gerry’ A. Salapuddin said in his statement in the social media.
Salapuddin added that the SPDA team’s mission to meet key officials in the province was blessed by ‘Allah’ since the group was warmly welcomed by retired Lt. Col. Omar Manabilang, a three-term mayor of the municipality and now as administrator to his son Mayor Jamal Manabilang. The incumbent mayor was not in his office when the team paid a visit.
Just recently, SPDA and Kennemer Foods International, Inc. had agreed in principle that the latter would enter into a lease agreement with the former for a 1,000 hectares of agricultural land of the Authority in Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur.
Kennemer Foods International, Inc. is an agri-business Philippine company that specializes in the growing, sourcing, and trading of high-quality agricultural crops, especially fermented cacao beans, abaca fiber, and bananas.
Today, Kennemer is Philippines’ leading supplier of cacao beans to the international market and works with the government and private sector partners to scale-up cacao production in the country.
The company works to increase and sustain smallholder farmers’ yields and incomes by providing end-to-end support through its growership program. This includes access to financing, technical assistance, and a guaranteed market. (Celestino B. Siglos, Ed.D.)
