CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Administrator Charito Plaza on Wednesday afternoon assured support to the investments of LuLu Group International's, a Middle East-based conglomerate and top retail services firm, in the country’s agro-industrial economic zones, “halal” hubs and production zones.
“Hopefully you will not just register with PEZA as a logistics enterprise but also to invest in other business and we will give you the incentives,” assured Plaza after the inauguration of the May Export Philippines’ world-class and cutting edge food and commodity processing export hub in Calamba Premiere International Park (CPIP) in Barangay Batino here.
Plaza thanked the LGI, through its chairman Yusuff Ali M.A., for choosing the Philippines in their multi-million investments and congratulated him and the LuLu business executives on the inauguration of its pioneering food processing and commodities logistics hub in the country.
“We in PEZA are truly grateful for the Middle East-based Lulu Group for their decision to choose the Philippines and put up its logistics services operations in the PEZA economic zone,” she said.
She also looked forward on the next inaugural event of the LuLu Supermarket-Philippine Branch knowing the conglomerate is top retailer in the Middle East and fastest retail chain across 10 countries for its global operations of around 151 Hypermarkets.
LuLu Hypermarkets has provided more than 1.1 million customers and “unparalleled” shopping experience daily across the globe and is acknowledged as the No. 1 retail chain in the Middle East and one among top 20 fastest growing retailers globally.
“We wish to assure you that you made the right choice in the Philippines where your business will continue to grow,” Plaza assured.
She pointed out that the new expansion of the LGI in the Philippines is “a testament of its strengthened commitment to continue offering quality products, attain absolute customer satisfaction and further expand its market share in the Southeast Asian region.”
She also expressed confidence that the newly-opened May Export Philippines Inc. based in this city’s industrial zone with “highly committed work force and highly appreciated professional service is just a matter of time before you will expand your operations.”
“We reiterate that May Export Philippines Inc. has the 101 percent support from PEZA and please note that we do not only consider your company as a client but rather a partner of PEZA,” Plaza affirmed, citing that “as partner, we have a stake in your success – your success is also our success and the success of our country.”
She also committed PEZA’s brand of service – the ease of doing business in the Philippines – which is recognized by the IMF-World Bank as the economic zone authority which has the best practice worldwide.
“I hope that you will continue to expand your operations and also because of the competitiveness and the highly professional service that the Filipino people can offer,” Plaza said.
In a press interview, LuLu Group chair Yusuff Ali said after the logistics and food processing center, they are eyeing initially to expand in agri-business and the investments in the “halal” zones like in Mindanao for the Muslim consumers.
“With the help of (DA) Undersecretary (Jose Gabriel M. Laviña) for all the agriculturists, we invite them because they are the key, and we will not allow the middlemen to skew the agriculture,” Yusuff Ali told media.
Usec. Laviña also told media that the DA will link them (LuLu Group) to the producers and the farmers and fishermen.
“There’s going to be a role for everyone – entrepreneurs, farmers and the fisher folk to be able to sell directly. We will organize a day when they could come, some kind of a mechanism, normally we do it like the cooperatives,” Laviña said. (PNA)
