3 mining towns form eco-cluster
Posted by Michille on June 16th, 2006
3 mining towns form eco-cluster – Sun.Star General Santos!
TAMPAKAN, South Cotabato — Three towns covered by a gold and copper mining project recently signed a memorandum of undertaking to launch the Kitaco Area Growth Plan.
Anticipating increased economic activities among their respective areas, government officials of Kiblawan in Davao del Sur, Tampakan in South Cotabato and Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and officers of Sagittarius Mines Inc. last week signed the agreement in Tampakan.
Kitaco, which stands for Kiblawan, Tampakan and Columbio, translates in the vernacular to “my earnings.”
The Kitaco plan aims to rationalize, integrate, and jumpstart the development of the three neighboring municipalities in line with the anticipated economic growth Sagittarius will bring to the residents.
“It is framework for cooperation among our three neighboring municipalities. After a series of consultation, we were convinced that the best way to move forward our development efforts is to integrate and coordinated them,” said Tampakan Mayor Claudius Barroso.
The plan, prepared with the technical assistance of the National Economic Development Authority, is a historic event as this was the first time the three towns that are bonded together for a common economic and development purpose, according to Kiblawan Mayor Jaime Caminero.
“We want to see our constituents benefit from the opportunities and effect lasting growth and development to our areas. The Kitaco plan is such an opportunity so we decided not to miss this one,” Colombio Mayor Edwin Bermudez added.
The Kitaco plan, according to its memorandum of undertaking, will be good for five years, with Sagittarius providing an initial counterpart fund of P400,000 for the plan’s operationalization.
Three barangay councils in Tampakan and one each in Columbio and Kiblawan and five tribal chieftains within these three towns throw their support to the plan.
The South Cotabato Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through its president Carlito Uy, also vowed to support the plan’s programs yet to be mapped out before the end of this month.
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