President Duterte asks GRP panel to raise oil palm project issue with NDF

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 11): President Duterte asks GRP panel to raise oil palm project issue with NDF

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday asked the government peace panel to present the issue on oil palm production with the National Democratic Front (NDF) panel in their next peace talks in Oslo, Norway.

Fresh from his two-day visit to Malaysia, President Duterte said Malaysian traders wanted to invest in oil palm plantation in Mindanao that would require hundreds of hectares, but were wary of the rebels' activities that could disrupt business and compromise their security.

Mr. Duterte said oil palm production is one area where government can help in providing livelihood to farmers and improve the economic condition in Mindanao.

“I really do not know but I think somebody should talk to them again. Maybe this would be one project that we can ask about doon sa (there in) Oslo because while waiting for the final result, ano man ‘yan, kailangan natin na (that is, we need that), we have to improve the lives of the people,” he said in the press conference during his arrival from Malaysia Friday dawn.

The President was pushing the oil palm production project two years back but it did not push through.

“Ang tagal na nga ‘yan eh (It’s been a long time already). Problem actually, let me be very frank. “Nong una may pumasok na dito (There was an investor before). As a matter of fact, they sent their agronomist, the guy who examines the soil for its appropriate plant,” the President recalled a situation in Paquibato, a stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao City.

He said the Malaysians were ready at that time but after a positive finding on suitability of the soil but suddenly the NPA posted banners everywhere saying no to palm oil.

When he asked the NPA, the President said he was told that oil palm is detrimental to the water source. But, he said, “Malaysia (which has a vast oil palm plantation) has prospered. It has not lost its moisture or water.

He said he did not insist despite his assurances to the people because there was the threat. “But they (Malaysians) will try again. And again I will make sure to meet the experts of the world about water under the soil and ask us to explain why it is so. He said there is an oil palm plantation in Agusan del Sur and it has proven to be a good source of revenue and a source of livelihood for the people.

Department of Trade and Indutry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said the companies are willing to put a stake in the current administration in terms of supporting the development goals in infrastructure, agri-business.

Lopez said there’s a potential palm oil project wherein the harvest and the output will go back to Malaysia as exports and for further processing into palm oil areas in Mindanao and Palawan.

The investors are initially looking at 80,000 down the road, but Lopez said they have identified close to 1 million hectares as a possible plantation project for palm oil and natural rubber in Mindanao and Palawan.

It may be recalled that then Mayor, now President Duterte offered to open a deal on the multi-million offer of the Malaysian investors to develop an oil palm industry with members of the NPA as partners. He said it was an opportunity for everybody – the rebels and the populace of Paquibato who have longed for economic development in the area.

Paquibato has remained poor because no investor dared to put money in due to presence of rebels plus the imposition of “revolutionary taxes”.

City Agriculturist Rocelio Tabay earlier said the city has vast potential area for an oil palm plantation. According to him, there is a total of 10,000 to 20,000 hectares of idle land potential for oil palm industry.

Tabay said the city has about 60,000 hectares agricultural land fit for specific agriculture and another 130,000 hectares for non-agricultural sources.

Malaysian investors on oil palm set eyes on Sultan Kudarat, setting aside Davao.  At that time, it was not only the Malaysians who were interested to develop an oil palm plantation but also Singaporeans.

The Singaporean-based firm Kol John submitted to then mayor Duterte a proposal to develop a 30,000 hectare land in Marilog District for oil palm plantation.

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