THE BANGSAMORO Agri-Enterprise Program (BAEP) continues to propel the development of BARMM by enhancing agribusinesses and cultivating investments.
According to Tony S. Peralta, chairperson of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)-Southern Mindanao Business Council and Honorary Consul for Finland, the project exceeded the targets they set with the progress currently at a halfway point.
In terms of marketing in BARMM, Peralta said that the approach was to be much more creative in order for investments to come in the area.
“So, the value proposition there is that BARMM has the land, available land for agricultural expansion. Other provinces don’t have anymore that kind of luxury to offer land because again of the rise of urbanization in places that used to be agricultural farms,” he said during Wednesday’s Media Forum on Oct. 30.
He acknowledged the challenges of the ease of doing business with decisions on investments to be taken first by working with farmer organizations for the safety of investments. They have also been closely monitoring the political climate in BARMM.
“That’s why we have decided to take a serious look at working with different farmer organizations and matching them with the needs of agricultural companies,” he said.
The BAEP is a four-year program that began in 2022 and was implemented by the ECCP and other 4 implementing partners who are tasked with bringing investments to BARMM.
It aims to empower BARMM’s agribusiness as well as to strengthen its level of readiness for business partnerships and investments to prepare them to access outside markets.
The program is also funded and supported by the European Union with its commitment to help stabilize the situation in BARMM by generating more jobs and opportunities.
Photo by Bing Gonzales
