AG&P International Pte. Ltd. (AG&P), a leading LNG terminal and downstream infrastructure company, got approval from City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (CFARMC) for its Philippines LNG (PHLNG) Terminal facility at Ilijan in Batangas Bay. In a special council meeting held at the Office of the City Veterinary & Agricultural Services (OCVAS), the CFARMC passed a binding resolution supporting the construction, commissioning and operationalizing of AG&P’s PHLNG import terminal in recognition of the facility’s potential for community and livelihood development in Batangas and its neighbouring municipalities.
Acknowledging AG&P PHLNG Import Terminal’s magnanimous contribution towards jobs generation and sustainable progress in the province, the resolution stated, “The development and industrialization along the municipal waters will greatly help in the economic growth of Batangas Province. It is also necessary to address the thinning supply of natural gas which is needed by power plants in the area.”
The Philippine Government created Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (FARMCS) in all barangays, municipalities and cities adjoining municipal waters to institutionalize the major participation of the local fisherfolks and other resource users in the community-based planning and implementation of policies and programs for the management, conservation, development and protection of fisheries and aquatic resources of the municipal waters across the Philippines.
“We salute the CFARMC for this critical resolution approving of AG&P’s Philippines LNG Import Terminal, a testament to AG&P’s commitment for participatory community development in the regions in which we operate. We will work in collaboration with CFARMC towards our shared responsibilities for our fishing communities to enable diverse livelihood and income opportunities, while simultaneously bringing clean energy into the country and improving the quality of life for many thousands of Filipinos,” said Anupam Ahuja, AG&P Group’s Senior Vice President for Strategic Services.
“Participatory Community Development Planning” is guided by the principles of the United Nations Global Compact, a strategic initiative and a call to companies to align strategies and operations with ten (10) universal principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption). AG&P is committed to advance societal goals such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation.
Recently, as part of its National Capacity Building Program, AG&P partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Batangas State University-National Engineering University (BSU-NEU), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Education (DepEd), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Tourism (DoT), and the local barangays to provide skills training for women, craftsmen, out-of-school youth, senior citizens and fisherfolk.
In addition to creating alternative community-based livelihoods, AG&P is providing on-the-job training for the emerging LNG/natural gas industry and building a pool of employable talents for the design, construction and operation and maintenance of clean energy networks being built in the country.
