THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it is developing a master plan for the Leyte Ecological Industrial Zone (LEIZ) to establish a copper industry cluster in the area.
In a statement, the agency said Palafox Associates had been awarded the contract to develop the LEIZ master plan.
The master plan drafting process commenced last month and is targeted for completion in February 2020.
The master plan will identify areas in Leyte where copper processing and allied activities may be located.
The plan is a first step toward a feasibility study that will be used for investment promotion to attract developers and locators.
“The establishment of the LEIZ and development of a copper industry cluster in Leyte serves as our medium to long-term strategic economic objective consistent with the agency’s industry development mandate,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo said.
“This is a showcase project for the agency, filling in the value chain gaps and missing links and fully integrating the Philippine copper industry and its allied industries,” he said.
Mr. Rodolfo also said that industry clustering in the LEIZ is intended to bring down logistics costs and offer a steady power supply since Leyte hosts one of the biggest geothermal power plants in the country.
He also said that the plan hopes to attract carbon-neutral companies to ensure the conservation and protection of the environment.
The development of the LEIZ Masterplan is among the objectives enlisted in the Copper Industry Road map completed in 2012.
Part of government’s rehabilitation effort in the region after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda, the road map aims to promote the integrated development and competitiveness of copper and other related industries in the region.
The LEIZ is expected to spur economic activity in the area, thus creating more opportunities for micro, small and medium scale enterprises and job seekers. — Janina C. Lim
