The Department of Agriculture (DA) signed a memorandum of understanding and broke ground Thursday, July 20, for the construction of the cold/commodity examination facilities in agriculture (CEFA) in Angat, the country’s first border inspection facility.
Once built, the facility will inspect all imported agricultural commodities shipped to the Philippines, including frozen meat and vegetables.
It will be manned by Bureau of Customs personnel.
The CEFA will also showcase a laboratory for disease testing to prevent the entry of pests and viruses that pose threats to the agricultural industry.
The facility will rise on a 10-hectare lot provided by the Pacific Roadlink Logistics Inc., and will be able to store more than 250 containers.
Around P2.3 billion will be used for the construction which is expected to finish within six to eight months. It is also expected to generate 1,500 jobs.
Agricultural groups said the CEFA will push the prices of produce down.
“Malaking tulong talaga ito sa atin food safety and sa mga smuggled goods na pumapasok sa ating bansa,” Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) chairperson Rosendo So said. – with report from Cleizl Pardilla-ag