TACLOBAN CITY – Mayor Juliana Villasin of Barugo, Leyte has expressed hope that the operation of their proposed agro-industrial zone would spur development not only in their town but also in nearby municipalities.

Villasin told Leyte Samar daily Express that what hampers the eventual operation of the town’s agro-industrial zone, located more than 15 kms. away from the town proper is the relocation of some families still living within the site and some needed papers.

“That is why I am asking for the assistance of both Gov. ( Jericho “Icot”) Petilla and the Department of Land Reform to help us so we could start to open and operate our agro-industrial zone,” Villasin said.

Both Gov. Petilla and the DLR-8 under Director Tiburcio Morales has yet to take action on this request of Villasin.

According to her, there are still some 10 families living within the 100 hectares proposed agro-industrial economic zone, located in Brgys. Balud and Duka and that some documents are still to be complied with like the transfer of ownership to the local government unit of the 50 hectares that the municipality had acquired.

The area had been earlier identi0fied to be within the coverage of the government’s agrarian reform program.

The mayor said that once all these “problems” would be solved, she would asked before the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), the government’s agency that has the ,jurisdiction over the country’s economic zones, to declare the area as an agro-industrial zone entitled of all benefits given to a economic zone.

“And once it would be declared by PEZA as an agro-industrial zone, we would open it to locators so they could immediately operate,” Villasin told Express.

According to Villasin, many individual as well companies have already signified their intention to relocate and operate in the agro-industrial zone.

“Many of these individuals are from the town itself who made it big in other places like the United States,” she said.

The proposed agro-industrial zone is being targeted to be a suite for light industries like factories for products made of coconut, information technology and ready-to-wear factories.

“I am really looking forward for the eventual operation of our agro-industrial zone because this would not only spur development in our town but also its surrounding areas lie Carigara and San Miguel,” Villasin said.

Villasin told Express that `around 15, 000 jobs would be created once the agro-industrial zone in their town starts to operate. In the initial years of operation, she added, 50 hectares of the identified 100 hectares would be first utilized.

“The other 50 hectares would be used for the future expansion of the agro-industrial zone,” she said.

Aside from creating employment, the operation of the said agro-industrial zone would also help reduce the power rates of the entire town of Barugo.

“I have already met with Napocor official who assured me that the operation of the economic zone would also help reduce our power rate,” she said.

Villasin explained that there is now a power substation of the National Power Corp. in Barangay Balud which serves as the main source of power for the proposed agro-industrial zone.

The plan to create an agro-industrial zone in Barugo was started during Villasin’s first term and the local government unit had already spent more than P3 million for land acquisition and feasibility study.