Cotabato Province goes from rubber to durian

By MAYA M. PADILLO

PBBM says EDCA sites won’t be used for ‘offensive’ operations

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday maintained that the four additional sites under the Philippines’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with its longstanding ally, the United States, would not be used for “offensive actions.”

The President made this remark in a chance interview with reporters during his attendance at the commemoration of the 81st Araw ng Kagitingan at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

“Hindi tayo papayag, ang Pilipinas, hindi tayo papayag na gamitin ang mga bases natin para sa kahit anong offensive na action. Ito ay para lamang tulungan ang Pilipinas, pagka nangangailangan ng tulong ang Pilipinas (The Philippines will not allow to use our bases in any offensive action. It will be used once the Philippines is need of help),” Marcos said when asked whether the additional sites could “add tensions” in the region.

“Ang ginagawa lamang natin ay ipagpatuloy natin na pinapatibay natin ang depensa ng ating teritorya, ang pagdepensa ng Republika (What we are doing is to keep strengthening the defense of our territory, our Republic),” he added.

Marcos said the additional EDCA sites give the United States, which has a robust post-World War II security partnership with the Philippines, “a chance to be able to come and help us in any way.”

“Lahat ito existing na ‘yan. Mayroon na talaga tayong… kampo diyan na dati pa. At ang kaibahan lamang at sa ginawa natin dito ay ‘yung EDCA ay binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang ating mga (All these sites are already existing. And the only difference with what we did in this EDCA is that we give chance to) --- our only treaty partner, which is the United States, we give the chance to be able to come and help us in any way, lalong-lalo na… nag-umpisa talaga ‘yan sa pagtulong sa mga disaster relief, ganyang klaseng bagay (especially for disaster relief operations, things like that),” the President said.

Malacanang earlier an-

Thecountry’s rubber capital, the Province of Cotabato, is now into planting durian to help boost the Philippine’s durian exportation to China.

This developed after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Durians to China in January this year during his meeting with Chinese officials led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Governor Emmylou ‘Lala’ J. Talino-Mendoza said there are areas in the province that are now into durian planting.

“I hope that the price of durian per kilo to China will be favorable to the farmers,” Mendoza said.

Durian growing magnifies the province’s agriculture sector. It can be recalled that the Department of Agriculture (DA) identified the Province of Cotabato as number one in Region 12, ranked third in Mindanao and no. 10 in the country in rice and corn production and other high value crops in 2022.

Last Thursday, Mendoza witnessed the ceremonial send-off of the 18 metric tons of fresh durian from Davao City to China at the Davao International Airport (DIA) Cargo Section.

Also present during the event were Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, Davao City Councilor Marissa Abella, members of the Durian Industry Association of Davao City (DIADC), Chinese

FCOTABATO, P10