“We are all part of this Vision”, Gov. Abet

CAPITOL GROUNDS, Bataan – In a recent Regional Development Council (3) meeting, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported that for the year 2014, the Province of Bataan recorded the highest number of investments in the region, amounting to Php 49-50B, despite its size in terms of land area. This was disclosed by Bataan Gov. Abet S. Garcia in his message to the Provincial Capitol employees during this morning’s flag raising ceremony, led by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

The good governor likewise underscored the many developments taking shape that all contribute to the attainment of the Province’s vision, that is by the year 2020, Bataan will be the preferred location for eco-industrial investments leading to the highest human development index in the Philippines.

Gov. Abet also mentioned that we are already starting to reap the “low lying fruits” of our concerted efforts in terms of employment generation through the promotion of our local tourism and the presence of many locators in the different economic zones in the Province.

He likewise drew the attention of the audience on the recent groundbreaking of the 1st Sea Port at the Freeport Authority of Bataan (FAB) in Mariveles, the fastest growing freeport in the country, emphasizing that this alone will create no less than 20 thousand new jobs for the Bataeños. Soon, a container port, that will help decongest the port of Manila, will also rise in the FAB that will ease the entry and exit of both raw materials and finished products as well as the so-called loose and dirty cargo.

Earlier, the officers of the Bataan Information and Communications Technology Development Council led by its president, Mr. Rogelio Zulueta of Eastwoods College, took their oath. Gov. Abet, in expressing his gratitude to the newly installed officers and members of the council, emphasized that all the council members are working hand in hand with the government on a purely voluntary basis. Foremost among the aims of the ICT council, a multi-sectoral group, is to help in advancing the ICT competitiveness of the Province, which as Gov. Abet said is vital to the Province.

With the redevelopment of the Capitol Compund, the 1st IT Park in Bataan will also rise and this is through the local government’s partnership with the industrial sector, the academe and other stakeholders. The governor is optimistic that another 5-10 thousand new jobs will be created out of this partnership.

In the end, Gov. Abet accentuated that the attainment of the Province’s vision rests on the commitment and cooperation of everybody, for “we are all part of this vision”.