MANILA, Philippines—Look who’s building another “agri-park.”
As a vast farm in Rosario, Batangas province, spawned controversy for being an alleged undeclared property of Vice President Jejomar Binay, a similar agri-tourism project is being envisioned in Taguig City.
This time, it will be a government project and the proponents are Binay’s critics, the Cayetanos.
CAYETANO
The Taguig local government has announced plans to convert a swampy tract of land near Laguna de Bay into an “urban farm” to be developed with the help of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Mayor Lani Cayetano said the project, to be called Lakeshore Community, will occupy a five-hectare area shared by Barangays New Lower Bicutan and Hagonoy. Aside from showcasing best practices in organic farming and raising livestock, the farm will have recreational features like boat rides and fish ponds, she said.
‘Nicer than Venice, Bangkok’
Construction of the farm will begin in the first quarter of 2015, said the mayor and wife of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, one of Binay’s critics who is in the Senate subcommittee investigating the so-called “Hacienda Binay” in Batangas. The Vice President has denied owning the property himself or through a dummy.
“We want to show a place that is nicer than Venice,” the mayor said. “Is it wishful thinking? That can happen, wait and see. (It will be) more charming than Bangkok; that’s what we want to introduce, our Lakeshore Community.”
Campus demo farm
“Our intention is to develop it beside the lake and we will make it the main urban farm of the city of Taguig,” Cayetano said during last week’s launch of a smaller demo farm at Tipas Elementary School. “Many are asking, what will happen after this launch? Last week, (DA representatives) were here and I immediately told them that (we are) preparing a piece of land beside the lake and we want the city of Taguig to be known for its agri-tourism.”
In a statement, Bureau of Animal Industry Acting Director Rubina O. Cresencio lauded the Taguig project for being timely, adding that it would have the DA’s full support. “We are going to prove that urban agriculture can be successful in Metro Manila,” she said.