$200-M paper facility to rise in Isabela

By Thelma C. Bicarme and Merlito G. Edale, Jr.

Monday 13th of February 2012

ILAGAN, Isabela, Feb. 13 (PIA) -- A $200-million paper plant facility will be constructed in Isabela as soon as the final agreement among the Korean investors, the provincial government of Isabela, and city government of Cauayan will be formalized.

The multi-million dollar paper plant facility, which will be using corn stalks as raw materials, is expected to be constructed at the forest region of Cauayan City where majority of farmers are engaged in corn planting.

Danilo Tumamao, provincial agriculturist of Isabela, said that in the conceptualization of the paper plant project, the proponents took into consideration the area of operations where vast areas of corn lands shall be present to meet the requirements and availability of corn stalks when the facility will start to operate.

Tumamao said Isabela is the country’s top producer of corn among other provinces in the country where it has produced 1.26 million metric tons of corn in 2011, contributing 20 percent of country’s total corn production.

The Korean-owned Corn Pulp and Paper Holdings with local counterpart Araneta and Lee Consulting company has been initially conducting talks with the provincial and city officials of Cauayan to possibly realize the important project which can contribute to employment opportunities for Isabelinos.

Tumamao said the Korean project is an opportunity to increase the corn yield by planting corn in 20,000 hectares to produce the needed corn stalks for the plant’s operation.

Tumamao said once the paper plant facility will formally operate, there will be demands for labor force and this will benefit Isabelinos. (TCB/MGE-PIA Isabela)