Uy vows more development for Villanueva

By: Joey P. Nacalaban (Sun Star July 1, 2010)

"WE will not stop on dreaming, we will make our town the best in Misamis Oriental."

This, in gist, is the promise made by re-elected Mayor Juliette Tiu-Uy of Villanueva town when she took her oath of office at the public plaza Tuesday morning, officiated by Municipal Trial Court Judge Wilfred Yacapin.

Along with Uy, eight members of the Municipal Council headed by Windelino Nalagon Sr. were also inducted into office. The other council members are Elena Abrea, Edwin Dagasuhan, Carmito Leon Tapongot Jr., Valeriana Ricacho, Paquito Mortola Jr., Enrique Zayas, Leneo Salvaña and Macario Lood.

Misamis Oriental Vice Governor Noris Babiera witnessed Uy’s oath taking along with Uy's husband, lawyer Julio Uy, who once served as vice governor of the province.

Uy said her administration would not be vindictive, citing that politics is over and now is the time to start building their beloved town.

“One of the thrusts of my administration is to uplift the socio-economic status of my constituents. It is a mission, first of all, to make this place more conducive to a vibrant economic activity," she said.

She added that infrastructure development such as roads, bridges, water system and power supply will be given priority.

“Human resource development has not been a problem since the municipality has even contributed to the world labor force by skilled overseas contract workers,” Uy said.

The town chief also boasted on the stable peace and order situation in the area, claiming that citizens armed only with handheld radios are watching the area 24 hours a day.

"We will continue to be united if only we want to progress even more," She said.

On June 2, Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils. started the construction of one of its biggest production plants in Asia in Barangay Katipunan.

Also soon to open in Villanueva is Amley Food Corporation for its dried mango factory.

Uy said if completed, the plant can employ more than 200 residents.

On education, she said the local government unit had already collaborated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the town’s 200 scholars.

“The scholarship is a program of the local government unit to assist indigent but deserving students to continue their education,” she said.

Meanwhile, Babiera vowed for the province’s support to Uy’s administration.

“Governor Oscar Moreno is very much happy with the progress that has been enjoyed by Villanueva residents through the efforts of Mayor Uy,” Babiera said.

P3-B Coke Mega Plant to rise in Villanueva

By Mike Banos

Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. (CCBPI) P3-billion “Mega-Plant” now under construction in Barangay Katipunan, Villanueva, Misamis Oriental will be operational in February, 2011.

Villanueva Mayor Juliette T. Uy said the new 11-hectare facility will not only bottle the company’s signature soft drink brands but the firm’s bottled water brands as well.

“Besides soft drinks, the plant will also include packaging and bottle manufacturing facilities,” Uy said. “It will serve markets in Mindanao and the Visayas.”

Uy said the finished products and raw materials for the mega plant would be coursed through the nearby Mindanao Container Terminal facility at the Phividec Industrial Estate-Misamis Oriental. Based on initial estimates of industry sources, the plant would have a combined capacity equivalent of over 400,000 cases a year.

CCBPI now operates two production lines with a daily capacity of 20,000 cases at a 2.3 hectare site in downtown Cagayan de Oro. Frequent production line stoppages due to floods, inadequate electrical supply and distribution problems due to vehicular traffic have forced company officials to look for a new and bigger site.

CCBPI is wholly-owned by The Coca Cola Company, which bought the 65 shareholdings of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) in CCBPI in 2007 for US$590 million. The acquisition includes soft drinks manufacturer Cosmos Bottling Corporation (CBC), and Philippine Beverage Partners, Inc., the company which distributes the products. Today, the company's carbonated brands in the market include Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Sprite Light, and Royal, and CBC brands Pop Cola, Sarsi, Cheers, Lift, Jaz Cola, and Sparkle.

With over 25 beverage brands, CCBPI claims leadership of the soft beverage corporation in the Philippines. With subsidiaries Cosmos Bottling Corporation and Philippine Beverage Partners Inc., it is one of the world's top bottlers of Coca-Cola and one of the Philippines' top 20 corporations in terms of revenue, the Philippines being the 5th largest market for Coca-Cola worldwide.

Misamis Oriental town gets P4-M aid

By: Mike U. Crismundo (Manila Bulletin) and P.I.A.

In support to the government’s desire to attain sustainability and sufficiency in agriculture, farmers in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental are expected to benefit from two livelihood projects worth at least P4 million.

This developed after the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) HighValue Commercial Crops (HVCC) program provided a packing house worth some P1.5 million, in addition to the P2.5 million worth of poultry/ agri-livelihood project funded by the DA’s Mindanao North Coast

Integrated Area Development Project (MNCIADP) which was already implemented in the area.

Villanueva Mayor Juliette Y. Uy expressed her gratitude to the DA for providing support to the municipality.

She said that despite being an industrial area, “we see to it that agriculture has an equal footing to the other industry in the municipality considering that agriculture is producing food for our constituents.” The presence of the packing house in the municipality provided assurance of the farmers’ market.

It is in this facility that farmers produce are brought, segregated, consolidated and packed.

These products will then be

brought to the prospective market outlets in the region.

This activity provided farmers with opportunities for bulk handling transactions.

Aside from that, Uy explained that the facility also provided the residents with employment opportunities especially to those who did not finish college.

Another business opportunity was given to the municipality of Villanueva through their poultry agri-livelihood project.

This provided production support to farmer co-operators to raise their own poultry business.

Uy said that “through this project, the municipality of Villanueva will be having our own dressed chickens

and Villa roasted chickens will be produced soon.“ Meanwhile, DA Regional Executive Director Lealyn A. Ramos congratulated the municipality of Villanueva for its active support to the projects and programs of the DA.

This is one of the municipalities in Misamis Oriental that availed several projects from DA and is willing to provide counterpart for the realization of the project.

The DA is very optimistic that the agriculture sector will flourish in this area despite being an industrial municipality.

Ramos is encouraging the local government units to actively participate and avail of the programs and projects offered by DA.