THE MUNICIPALITY OF ROSARIO BATANGAS has a vision statement with both "outward-looking" and "inward-looking" components, ten vision elements, and 25 success indicators. However, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) 2016-2-2030, Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) 2016-2025, and Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA) of 2020-2022 and 2022-2025 iterations do not provide clear descriptions of these elements. Therefore, we will present our interpretation of these vision elements in a series of posts, using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, and CALABARZON Regional Development Plan (RDP): 2017-2022 Midterm Update as a guide. Our goal is to show how achieving these vision elements can improve the lives of the people of Rosario and lead to prosperity. This is the eleventh post of a 25-part series.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE VISION ELEMENT: BECOMING THE PREMIER CENTER FOR AGRI-INDUSTRY OF EASTERN BATANGAS. This is the second of the five preferred development thrusts within the planning period 2016-2030 of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), and it falls within the "inward-looking" component of the vision statement of the Municipality of Rosario, Batangas.
Now, let's see how achieving this vision can improve the lives of the people of Rosario and lead to prosperity. We'll use three frameworks to guide our analysis: the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, and the CALABARZON Regional Development Plan (RDP): 2017-2022 Midterm Update.
Agri-industrialization refers to the process of transforming agriculture from being primarily focused on production for subsistence or small-scale local markets to a more commercialized, industrialized system that integrates agriculture with manufacturing and other economic sectors. This involves using modern technology, processes, and practices to increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability in the agricultural sector, and creating value-added products through processing and manufacturing. The goal of agri-industrialization is to create a more sustainable, diversified, and resilient agricultural system that can provide economic growth, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for rural communities.
Starting with the SDGs, we can see how the vision element of Becoming the Premier Center for Agri-Industry of Eastern Batangas aligns with several of the goals, particularly those related to ending poverty (Goal 1), promoting sustainable agriculture (Goal 2), fostering economic growth (Goal 8), and building sustainable communities (Goal 11). By developing a strong agri-industry sector, Rosario can create jobs, boost income, and increase access to nutritious food, all of which are critical for achieving these goals.
Moving on to the PDP, we can see that the vision element aligns with the plan's overall goal of "building a high-trust society that enjoys equitable social and economic opportunities through sound policies, efficient and transparent government services, and a resilient, sustainable, and competitive economy." By becoming a premier center for agri-industry, Rosario can contribute to the development of a more competitive and sustainable economy, which can lead to improved social and economic opportunities for its people.
Meanwhile, looking at the CALABARZON RDP, we can see that the vision element aligns with the plan's goal of "promoting inclusive growth through the development of key growth areas and industries." By becoming a premier center for agri-industry, Rosario can contribute to the development of a key growth area within the CALABARZON region, which can help drive economic growth and create new opportunities for its people.
At the local level, the Municipality of Rosario is strategically positioned to become the premier center for agri-industry in the region, and this aligns well with the Regional Physical Framework Plan: 2004-2030. As the center of the Batangas-Quezon Agri-based Cluster, Rosario has the potential to provide much-needed services to surrounding municipalities. Furthermore, the municipality's status as one of the three first class municipalities by income classification, in the Resource-Based Area Development Cluster (RBADC) sub-cluster, along with its proximity to Lipa City, makes it a natural urban development expansion path for the city.
Agriculture is the predominant land use in Rosario, covering 76.32% of the total land area in 2015, with farming and land cultivation as the most prevalent agricultural activities. Agricultural modernization is key to further improving traditional crop production and introducing high-yielding and high-value varieties of agricultural crops. Agricultural technology innovations should also be considered for sustainable development.
Agri-processing is a significant component of agri-industrialization, which will manage the surplus production of fruits, vegetables, and livestock or poultry products. Agri-processing activities will help intensify and upgrade agricultural production, and agri-based industries will be located within identified industrial zones or areas within Strategic Integrated Crop and Livestock Sub-Development Zones (SICLDZ) in the municipality. These industries will range from light to medium industry types only.
For environmental consideration, prime irrigated rice lands, rainfed rice land, and upland rice lands will be preserved perpetually for their present use as Rice Production Protection Areas. No large-scale conversion of these lands will be allowed, as they are sustainable lands that should be conserved and preserved. The use of environmentally friendly agricultural inputs and technologies, as well as the establishment of environmentally friendly industries, must always be monitored for sustainable development.
Under the current Zoning Ordinance of Rosario, Batangas, Agri-Industrial Zones are designated areas within the municipality that are primarily used for integrated farm operations and related product processing activities. These zones are often used for cultivating crops such as bananas, pineapple, sugar, and other agricultural products. The allowable uses/activities within the agri-industrial zones are:
01. Rice/corn mills02. Rice/corn mill warehouses & solar dryers
03. Agricultural and/or agri-industrial research & experimentation facilities
04. Drying, cleaning, curing and preserving of meat and its by-products and derivatives
05. Drying, smoking and airing of tobacco
06. Flour mill
07. Cassava flour mill
08. Manufacture of coffee
09. Manufacture of unprepared animal feeds and other grain milling
10. Production of prepared feeds for animals
11. Cigar and cigarette factory
12. Curing and re-drying tobacco leaves
13. Miscellaneous processing of tobacco leaves not elsewhere classified in the Zoning Ordinance
14. Weaving hemp textile
15. Jute spinning and weaving
16. Manufacture of charcoal
17. Milk processing plants (manufacturing filled, reconstituted or recombined milk, condensed or evaporated)
18. Butter and cheese processing plants
19. Natural fluid milk processing (pasteurizing, homogenizing, vitaminizing, bottling of natural animal milk and cream-related products)
20. Other dairy products not elsewhere classified in the Zoning Ordinance
21. Canning and preserving of fruits and fruit juices
22. Canning and preserving of vegetables and vegetable juices
23. Canning and preserving of vegetable sauces
24. Miscellaneous canning and preserving of fruit and vegetables not elsewhere classified in the Zoning Ordinance
25. Fish canning
26. Patis factory
27. Bagoong factory
28. Processing, preserving, and canning of fish and other seafood not elsewhere classified in the Zoning Ordinance
29. Manufacture of desiccated coconut
30. Manufacture of starch and its products
31. Manufacture of wines from fruit juices
32. Vegetable oil mills, including coconut oil
33. Muscovado sugar mill
34. Cotton textile mill
35. Manufacture/processing of other plantation crops e.g. pineapple, bananas, etc.
36. Other commercial handicrafts and industrial activities utilizing plant or animal parts and/or products as raw materials
37. Other accessory uses incidental to agri-industrial activities
38. Sugarcane milling (centrifugal and refined)
39. Sugar refining
40. Customary support facilities such as palay dryers, rice threshers and storage barns and warehouses
41. Ancillary dwelling units/farmhouses for landowners. tenants, tillers and laborers
42. Class "A" slaughterhouse/abattoir
43. Class "AA" slaughterhouse/abattoir
44. Commercial raising of livestock and fowl, provided that:
a. For livestock – 100 heads and above
b. For fowl – 10,000 heads and above
WE BELIEVE that becoming the leading hub for agricultural and industrial activities in the eastern part of Batangas could involve a range of activities, including expanding the production of agricultural products, promoting agro-processing and manufacturing, and attracting businesses and investors in related industries. By focusing on the development of a strong agri-industry sector, Rosario can help improve the lives of its people and contribute to sustainable development. By aligning its vision with the SDGs, PDP, and CALABARZON RDP, Rosario can ensure that its efforts are well-coordinated and targeted toward achieving these important goals.
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