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“The Marcos-era program of a food supply consolidation center will be revived this year with the reopening of the Food Terminal Inc, in Taguig, Metro Manila,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The FTI, which is now under DA, still has a 25-hectare area in Taguig to be used as the site of the new food terminal and another 11 hectares occupied by informal settlers,” Mr. Piñol added.
Mr. Piñol said that the new FTI, once completed, will have receiving and processing facilities for farm and fisheries produce to be sold to consumers and vendors associations in Metro Manila.
“Using modern communication technology, the new FTI will give out daily advisories on the buying prices of products such as chicken and hogs. It will be equipped with processing and cold storage facilities,” Mr. Piñol said.
He added that the FTI will also have logistics equipment to transport the goods from the regional food terminals to the markets. A total of six food terminals will be constructed nationwide during the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Mr. Piñol said, citing FTI Chairman Raymundo B. Ferrer.
“These food terminals will serve as the consolidated areas for agricultural and fisheries products,” Mr. Piñol said.
The old FTI site was bought by Ayala Land Inc (ALI) in 2012 for P24.3 billion, with proceeds from the redeveloped site’s retail, dining and entertainment establishments to help fund programs of the DA and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).\
The ALI development is known as Arca South. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
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