Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Inauguration of the Farm Fresh Milk Plant

Thank you, Secretary Deck Go, for your introduction.

The Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino – who has been working very, very hard on this and other projects that we are hoping to do with Malaysia; Trade and Industry Secretary Cris Roque; Pampanga Governor Lilia Nanay Pineda; I also saw the Vice Governor, Vice Governor Delta Pineda; the honorable members of the House of Representatives – we have Congressman Janet Garin and, oh, our latest newly elected Congresswoman [applause] Congressman Florabel, siya ang nagpapakain sa buong House of Representatives ngayon kaya nagtatabaan ‘yung mga congressman natin; the Farm Fresh Milk Berhad Founder and Group CEO Loi Tuan Ee; the Farm Fresh Milk Inc. Philippines CEO Shawn Pu; officials and employees of Farm Fresh Milk Inc.; my fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning.

Hindi man laging napapansin, ngunit napakahalaga ng gatas sa ating kalusugan at sa ating ekonomiya.

It may not be noticed – I will translate for the benefit of our Malaysian friends – sometimes it’s not regarded as part of our diet in Asia. But nonetheless, it is still – milk still forms a very, very important part of the nutrition and the health of our people.

Simula po noong tayo’y sanggol, ito na ang unang pinagmulan ng ating lakas at sigla.

Since we were babies, this is where we get our energy, this is where we get our strength.

Ang paglaki at pag-develop ng ating kabataan ay nakasalalay sa tamang nutrisyon, kabilang na [rito] ang galing sa gatas.

Ang industriya ng pagkain at manufacturing ay nangangailangan din ng gatas para sa produksyon ng mga tinapay, panghimagas, at iba pang mga delicacies.

Kaya naman, inimbitahan natin ngayon ang 15 estudyante mula sa San Pablo Elementary School para malaman nila kung paano nga ba ginagawa ang masustansiyang inuming ito.

We have invited some young students from a school nearby to explain to them that this is going to be now part of their diet and also as a focus group. And I can tell you, I was talking to them when they were drinking the milk, they approved of your product. [laughter] Well done. [applause]

Ngunit, hindi natin maikakaila na marami pa ring pagsubok ang hinaharap ng dairy industry dito sa bansa.

Isa na rito ang patuloy na pag-asa natin sa pag-aangkat ng dairy products mula sa ibang bansa. Dagdag pa rito ang epekto ng pabago-bagong klima [na] nagpapababa ng ating produksyon ng gatas.

Nangangailangan tayo ng mga bagong pasilidad upang maayos na makolekta [at maproseso ang] dairy products.

Sa pagpapasinaya natin ng Farm Fresh Milk Incorporated Plant, layon nating tiyakin ang karagdagang lokal na produksyon at suplay ng gatas sa bansa.

With Farm Fresh here, we are hoping, we are looking forward to a much larger supply of fresh milk for our people.

But, of course, I was very excited when we hear that there is a Phase 2, in which we that will also have – we will bring some cows from – I supposed from Malaysia, from Australia – and bring them here and so that they can produce milk here in the Philippines. This is very important because this is going to be an import substitute. Most of our milk products at present come from importation.

Sa tulong ng plantang ito, makakapag-produce na ng 32 milyong litro ng pasteurized milk, 32 million liters of pasteurized milk and more than 2.4 million liters of yogurt every year.

Magbibigay din ito ng mga oportunidad na magkaroon ng kabuhayan ang mga magsasaka at mga farm workers natin dito sa komunidad. Bukod sa mas epektibong produksyon, magbibigay din ito ng mas magandang kinabukasan para sa ating kababayan.

None of this would have been possible without the consistent support of Farm Fresh in our collective aspiration to boost our local production of dairy products.

Through your efforts, more Filipino farmers, veterinarians can now have a more stable and dignified job. So, I hope you will continue to improve and expand your operations, bringing greater opportunities to our communities.

I think the idea that – we share the same idea that perhaps Phase 2 can be regarded and can be approached, can be packaged as a PPP project. And we will have an unsolicited proposal, and from that, we can move – it’s much faster. That’s our advice. Make it an unsolicited proposal. It will be much, much faster. [applause]

Both secretaries of the Department of Trade and Industry and Secretary Deck Go for Trade and Investment will also be with you and helping you go through that process. We have spent a lot of time in recent – in the last couple of years trying to streamline that process. And so, you will be the beneficiary of the changes that we have made to the process, especially of approving unsolicited proposals for PPP.

Bilang suporta naman ng pamahalaan sa industriya, ipinapatupad natin ang Dairy Industry Development Program alinsunod sa Republic Act No. 7884.

Sa ilalim ng programang ito, nagpapahiram tayo ng puhunan sa ating mga magsasaka, nagbibigay tayo ng dairy animals, at nagsasagawa ng training mula sa dairy management at dairy husbandry hanggang sa breeding.

Makakaasa kayo na naririto ang pamahalaan upang magpatupad ng mga programang magpapabilis sa ating pagproseso ng dairy products.

Kasalukuyan na nating pinag-aaralan ang mga paraan kung paano mapapataas ang lokal na produksyon ng gatas at kung papaano madadagdagan pa ang investments sa dairy industry.

Patuloy din tayong makikipagtulungan sa pribadong sektor upang makapag-abot ng suporta sa ating mga magsasaka at sa ating mga manggagawa.

Mga kababayan, ang tagumpay ng bawat sektor ay nakasalalay sa ating pagkakaisa—sa inyong sipag, sa inyong dedikasyon, at sa aming suporta bilang inyong pamahalaan.

Sama-sama nating itatag ang Bagong Pilipinas kung saan ang bawat Pilipino ay nabibigyan ng pantay-pantay na pagkakataon, kaya nilang tugunan ang kanilang pangangailangan, at kayang tumulong upang umasenso ang ating minamahal na Pilipinas.

Maraming salamat. Mabuhay kayong lahat!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas! [applause]

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