Agro-industrial ecozone eyed in Passi City, Barotac Nuevo

THE 4TH District of Iloilo province is being positioned to become an agro-industrial hub, with Passi City and the town of Barotac Nuevo as the main processing areas. The district’s congressional representative, Ferjenel G. Biron, said potential locators already have pending applications with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). “We are eyeing locators for processing of fruits or other agricultural products (in Passi),” said Mr. Biron, chair of the House committee on trade and industry. Barotac Nuevo, on the other hand, is being eyed for processing of fish and other aquatic products. Mr. Biron said there is also a proposal in Congress for the town of Dumangas, where Iloilo’s biggest port is located, to be the main gateway of Iloilo province. “I talked with the Department of Transportation and they consider Dumangas as the main gateway of Iloilo instead of Iloilo City,” he said. PEZA is looking into an available area for logistics or warehousing zone within the Dumangas Port. Aside from Passi, Barotac Nuevo, and Dumangas, the 4th District is composed of the towns of Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Dueñas, San Enrique. —