ILAGAN, Isabela — In line with the celebration of Ilagan City’s 11th Cityhood Anniversary and Mammangi Festival, Senator Mark Villar and Mayor Jay Diaz led the groundbreaking and construction of the first-ever I-Corn Complex in Barangay Marana 1st here.
The I-Corn complex is the country’s first, with processing and postharvest facilities for feeds and food to ensure the quality of corn-based goods. The structure will provide comprehensive aid to local maize growers in Ilagan, Isabela, and surrounding provinces in Region 2.
Villar commended and congratulated the City Government of Ilagan, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office No. 2, and the DA national level’s assistance for the development of the Complex.
“The incomes and productivity of our farmers will increase once this facility is finished,” the senator said.
“This is a symbol of progress, unity, and collective effort of the DA and the City Government for the people of City of Ilagan to harness the potential of the corn industry,” Villar said.
“It will also demonstrate Ilagan’s commitment to invest in the future of farmers to ensure their prosperity in the long run.”
The senator also pledged his complete support to the project “until the full benefits are realized.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Diaz emphasized that the launching of the I-Corn Complex represents “a spectacular confluence of technology, sustainability, and economic development.”
“We envisioned to build the corn innovation center as a training and development hub for agricultural technology advancement, practical farming skills, and technology demonstrations on corn production,” Diaz stressed.
Ilagan, as the Corn Capital of the Philippines, “must live up to its hype” to become the hub for food production, considering the viability of raw materials, livestock, and food products through the forward integration process.
Once completed, this will function as a one-stop Agri-Commercial Center, with the goal of resolving challenges in maize production, notably drying during the wet season.
The facility will serve not just corn growers in the city but also the entire Isabela Province in the processing of their corn harvest. It will cater the needs of the farmers, fisherfolk, and other stakeholders. Its goal is to be a one-stop-shop for all produce.
“We are confident that the project will catalyze positive change in the corn industry by raising standards and establishing new precedents for excellence,” Mayor Diaz remarked.
