TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- Cagayan provincial government Chief of Staff Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor said the province has a good investment opportunity to bring its products in Canada and abroad.
The statement was Villaflor update after she attended a trade mission hosted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The said trade mission intended to find an area for investors in parts of the country, including Cagayan.
“We have the resources. We just have to know how to prioritize these so that we can also engage in export to other countries such as Canada,” Villaflor said in Pagdidinnamagan: Kapehan sa Kapitolyo on Monday, November 20.
Villaflor said the province has a ‘gamut’ of trade opportunities for its agricultural and aquaculture products.
It is now “timely,” Villaflor said, that Cagayano products be brought abroad because Philippine products exported in Canada mostly come from Visayas and Mindanao. These Filipino products are usually mangoes, coconut, organic products, and tropical fruits.
“We should let the world appreciate our products here also in Luzon specifically in Cagayan,” she said.
Villaflor cited the lobed-river mullet, locally known as ludong, as a possible unique aquaculture product to be exported.
“You can’t find that in anywhere else in the country. It’s very good in terms of taste so… why not let the world have a taste of the ludong if we can culture [it]?,” Villaflor said.
Villaflor also said that there is a “very high” demand and a big market for Cagayan’s sea-caught fish and other seafood in Canada.
She said the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) may conduct a study to determine if the fish can be cultured and exported. Yet, it is up to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the PPDO to determine the best products to export, she added.
Meanwhile, Governor Manuel Mamba was said to be receptive to the idea and that the capitol will probably coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry.
The capitol chief of staff said their realizations in the trade mission allow them to plan better for the province. She added that these will be integrated to the provincial government’s plans next year.
“I think in terms of the quality of food [and] the raw materials that we produce, we are there. Packaging na lang ang kulang; and setting the necessary connections so we can get our products out of the country, and for other countries to consume,” Villaflor said.
“There is really a big market out there and I’m just talking about Canada,” she added. Northernforum.net
