On the morning of Thursday, July 20, selected officers and members of the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI) led by Executive Vice President Samuel Lee Uy were invited to participate in the signing and laying of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Philippines’ first Cold Examination Facility in Agriculture (CEFA) to be located in Angat, Bulacan.
The event was hosted by Department of Agriculture (DA) officials and Senator Cynthia Villar, who allocated P2.3 billion in the 2023 budget for the construction of the project, which includes Cebu and Davao in the next construction program.
The agreement was signed by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, Senator Villar, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Mark Enverga of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Edgar Dominic Milla, Chairman of Pacific Roadlink Logistics Inc. (PRLI) to establish the CEFA.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed, the government will have access to 10 hectares of PRLI's land for the CEFA for a period of up to 25 years, which will include the construction of a laboratory, an incinerator, a container yard, and a truck parking lot, among other things.
The CEFA will be equipped with state-of-the-art testing laboratories for all imported animals, fish, plants and other agricultural products. It is expected to help combat smuggling and counterfeiting as well as maintain the nation's legitimate market movement.
According to Panganiban, the project will utilize modern infrastructures and the latest technology to decongest the ports, thereby accelerating the inflow of agricultural imports. Aside from preventing smuggling, the facility will also help control the spread of harmful viruses such as African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza, thereby protecting the livestock industry.
Samahang Industriya ng Agriculture (Sinag) Chairman Rosendo So said he is grateful to President Marcos Jr. for his strong support to the agriculture and livestock industry as the facility will protect the livelihood of Filipinos and ensure quality and safe food.
Construction is expected to be completed in six to eight months. The facility is also expected to create jobs and bring economic transformation to Bulacan. Once operational, the plant is expected to employ about 1,500 to 2,000 general workers in the province.
菲華工商總會訊：七月二十日（星期四）上午，本會執行副理事長黃書瑋，副理事長林天德，常務理事林文龍、洪海濱應邀出席參加了本國首個在武拉干省安加特舉行的農產品進口邊境管制設施的簽約和奠基儀式。該活動由農業部官員和參議員Cynthia Villar主持，農業部在二零二三年預算中撥款廿三億比索用於建設該項目，其中包括宿務和達沃也在下一個施工計劃之中。
諒解備忘錄由農業部高級副部長Domingo F. Panganiban、參議院農業委員會主席參議員Cynthia A. Villar、眾議院農業委員會Mark Enverga和Pacific Roadlink Logistics Inc. (PRLI)主席Edgar Dominic Milla共同簽署建立農業冷檢驗設施(CEFA)。根據諒解備忘錄內容：政府可使用PRLI 公司十公頃土地用於 CEFA，期限最長為廿五年，其中包括建實驗室、焚燒爐、集裝箱堆場和卡車停車場等。
將配備最先進的測試實驗室，用於檢驗所有進口動物、魚、植物和其他農產品。預計將幫助打擊走私和造假及維護全國合法市場運動。
根據農業部高級副部長Domingo Panganiban的說法，該項目將利用現代基礎設施和最新技術來緩解港口的擁堵，從而加快農產品進口的流入。除了防止走私外，該設施還將有助於控制非洲豬瘟和禽流感等有害病毒的傳播，從而保護畜牧業。
Samahang Industriya ng Agriculture (Sinag)主席亦是本會北呂宋地區常務理事蘇文琳表示，該設施除了保護菲律濱人的生計，並確保優質和安全的食品，因此他非常感謝小馬科斯總統對農業、畜牧業的大力支持。該設施將由農業部的食品安全和監管機構共同運營，包括動物工業局 (BAI)、植物工業局 (BPI)、漁業和漁業和水產資源局 (BFAR) 以及國家肉類檢驗局 (NMIS) 。預計將在六至八個月內施工完成。該設施預計還將創造就業機會，為武拉干省帶來經濟轉型。一旦投入運營，該工廠預計將在該省僱用約一千五百至二千名普通工人。真的是一大福音。
圖片說明：
上左圖（坐者左起）參議院農業委員會主席參議員Cynthia Villar，農業部高級副部長Domingo Panganiban， Samahang Industriya ng Agriculture(Sinag) 主席、本會常務理事蘇文琳。（站者左起）洪海濱、林文龍、林天德、黃書瑋。
上右圖：本會出席領導與武拉干Angat市市長Reynante “Jowar" Bautista（中）合影。
下圖；見證簽約奠基儀式的賓客合影。
