THE ASEAN-Batangas Access Zone (ABAZ) was officially turned-over Friday to the provincial government of Batangas, making the province the logistics hub for Southeast Asian countries.
ASEAN consisted of Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
“This is part of the provincial government’s efforts to be a leader in improving our agriculture sector while promoting our economy in the global market. Moreover, this development is focused on people so no one will be left behind,” Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas told Manila Standard.
He said ABAZ will also have a fish port, a food terminal, grain handling facilities, and other food processing establishments.
The economical transmission of electricity and the presence of submarine cables of internet bandwidth were some of the factors that were considered, according to the governor.
Mandanas, who sits as the Regional Development Council chairman, said the project is expected to boost livelihood opportunities and improve agricultural productivity in the region.
The ABAZ project covers the towns of Bauan and San Pascual, as well as Batangas City.
Mandanas also recognized the joint efforts of the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Department Trade and Industry (DTI) for the success of the project.
Through the efforts of the Office of Provincial Agriculturist, 2,375 local farmers and fisherfolk also received a total of P23.75 million in cash subsidies from the Presidential Assistance for Farmers, Fisherfolk and Families.
