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Filinvest has once again received notable recognition, being named one of the Top 10 Developers in the Philippines at the prestigious Hubexo Asia Awards 2025. The company also earned the Elite Award, a rare distinction given only to firms that have demonstrated consistent excellence for more than two decades. This milestone comes as the Filinvest Group celebrates its 70th anniversary, marking seven decades of growth across diverse industries-from real estate and banking to power, hospitality, and sugar.

The distinction celebrates the group’s real estate firms, Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) and Filinvest Alabang, Inc. (FAI), the powerhouse duo behind some of the country’s most innovative communities. From FLI’s extensive nationwide portfolio of residential communities, offices, co-living spaces, and industrial parks, to FAI’s high-end residential developments and sustainable townships like Filinvest City, which remains to be the Philippines’ only LEED Gold and BERDE dual-certified township, Filinvest continues to redefine what it means to create spaces that matter.

In a joint statement, Filinvest Land President and CEO Tristan Las Marias and Filinvest Alabang President and CEO Catherine Ilagan shared, ‘Being named among Asia’s Elite is both humbling and inspiring. This recognition is a testament to our shared vision of building a more inclusive and sustainable future. It reaffirms our position at the forefront of sustainable development and motivates us to continue setting new benchmarks in the industry.’

As Filinvest celebrates its 70th year, these honors mark more than achievement-they signal a vision for the future: crafting communities that don’t just house people, but nurture lives, dreams, and possibilities.

Visayas-based fuel trader and retailer Top Line Business Development Corp. on Wednesday said it is investing some P385.12 million in its fuel importation and distribution businesses.

In a disclosure, Topline said its board of directors has approved the additional investment of P185.63 million in its subsidiary-Topline Logistics and Development Corp.-through the subscription of 1.86 million common shares. It maintains its 75 percent ownership in the company.

‘The increase in capital stock. is intended to support the scale of operations expected from its import activities, in line with the issuance of its certificate of registration from the Bureau of Customs,’ Topline said.

The firm’s board also approved the additional investment of P199.5 million in Light Fuels Corp., equivalent to a subscription of 1.99 million common shares, maintaining its 99.75 percent ownership.

The increase in the authorized capital stock of Light Fuels is expected to strengthen its financial position in support of its retail network expansion program.

The company is also reclassifying 800 million of its common shares, with a par value of P0.10 apiece, into the same number of preferred shares, also with a par value of P0.10 apiece.

The reclassification, subject to the approval of the company’s shareholders and the Securities and Exchange Commission, is intended to provide Topline with flexibility in the issuance of shares.

‘The terms and conditions of the issuance of the preferred shares have yet to be finalized. The company shall inform the investing public of such terms and conditions as soon as discussed and approved by the board of directors of the company.’

Topline said it is hopeful that 2025 will be a banner year for the company as its fuel retailing business expands. It grew substantially just months after the company’s maiden offering on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Eugene Erik Lim, Topline chairman, president and CEO, said the company expects both income and revenues to post a significant growth because of its fuel retailing business.

‘We’re hoping it can be a banner year. From three stations last year, that is, hopefully, 50 (51) stations this year. So, it’s really a banner year in terms of revenue growth or topline growth or income because of the acquisition,’ he said.

This follows after the company announced over the last two weeks that it is acquiring 38 fuel retailing stations around Visayas.

The 38 retail fuel stations were acquired from Total Oil and Gas Resources Inc. and Ballston Metro Corp. located across various areas in Cebu, Leyte, Siquijor and Negros Oriental, as well as a 2-million liter depot facility; and 15 fuel tanker trucks.

In ancient times, townshipspertained to small, rural communities or settlements, often with a strong sense of local identity and governance.

In the Philippines, for example, communities developed with the creation of Barangays, which were made up of several dozen households bound together by social and political ties. These Barangays provided fellowship, security and survival for the families living therein.

In today’s world of real estate, townships refer to large-scale, integrated, mixed-used developments that combine residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within specific areas. Since their advent in the 2000s, townships have become thriving communities that offer many amenities and services that have attracted many investors and homeowners.

The reason for townships’ popularity is the variety of amenities and conveniences that they offer.

Nowadays, it’s common to find various types of residential units such as apartments, condominiums, villas, and townhouses; commercial spaces that offer banking, shopping, dining, and entertainment; recreational facilities like parks, gardens, theaters, gyms, sports complexes; and integrated, well-planned infrastructure like roads, utilities, and community services, all in one common expanse. Furthermore, townships provide easy access to amenities and services that are carefully planned and managed, providing a high quality of life and reducing the need to travel; they foster a sense of community among residents; and their value appreciate over time, making them a good investment option.

According to Sharon Joy Roset Saclolo of Leechiu Property Consultants, the way Filipinos choose where to live is evolving and infrastructure development is driving the transformation. With P1.54 trillion allocated to major projects in 2024 alone, the country is seeing significant improvements in roads, transport systems and interregional connectivity. These developments are expanding housing options beyond Metro Manila, creating new residential hubs and investment opportunities in emerging cities. Today, there are over 120 townships covering 134,000 hectares nationwide, offering residents the convenience of living near workplace, retail hubs and entertainment enters.

Examples of these are Filinvest City-a 244 hectare fully-integrated township with residential, business, leisure, education and medical areas, Greenfield District in Mandaluyong, Philippines-a 64-hectare township with residential, office, and commercial spaces, Eton City in Laguna, a 1,000-hectare township with residential, commercial, and recreational spaces, Megaworld’s Forbes Town in Bonifacio Global City and Pueblo de Panay in Roxas City, Capiz, which is the largest township in the Philippines.

David Leechiu of Leechiu Property Consultants, views townships as vital, maturing urban developments that thrive outside Metro Manila, supported by infrastructure and BPO growth with a future focus on transit-oriented developments and sustainability to improve quality of life. He said, ‘A buyer preference for landed homes over condominiums, a trend accelerated by high interest rates and identifies a growing demand for master-planned townships due to their flood protection and power reliability.’

Joey Bondoc of Colliers Philippines is optimistic that the development of more integrated communities in the city should result in the construction of newer and more sustainable office spaces. Tenants should be on the lookout for the completion of these high-quality spaces.

Indeed, townships are becoming increasingly popular in the property market because of their unique blend of convenience, community living, and investment potential.

THE country’s conglomerates rule the lives of every Filipino, from the time they wake up until they go to sleep.

Most people look for their smartphones upon waking up using telecom firms’ network. These were owned by the Ayala or MVP group. They will turn the lights on from power produced and delivered by the MVP group, among others; take a bath using water concessionaires either Maynilad Water or Manila Water; go to the office and take expressways again owned by MVP or San Miguel Corp.; and on and on.

These conglomerates were there 20 years ago, some the same faces, and others in a different form or owner.

The Ayala group, the country’s oldest conglomerate, may have seen it all. Two decades ago, its unit Globe Telecom Inc., changed the country’s telecom landscape as it shifted to more data-driven business and slowly did away with texting, or short messaging system.

It then launched GCash, back then an SMS money transfer service of the telecom firm.

The GCash name, however, did not explode until the pandemic in 2020, when most Filipinos, realizing its ability to facilitate transactions while sparing people from exposure to possibly infected places, started to acquire their own GCash account. They have been using its service since on a wide range of cash transfers. The GCash name became almost synonymous with cash.

Today, Ayala is still everywhere, although shedding some prominent business along the way, mainly Manila Water Co. Inc. to the Razon group. It also gave up car dealerships of Volkswagen and Honda in favor of Chinese brand BYD, a manufacturer of electric vehicles.

‘Among our younger businesses, we are particularly bullish on AC health, which is steadily building a healthcare ecosystem, consisting of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies. The company established from the ground up the country’s first dedicated cancer hospital; acquisitions have also bolstered growth,’ Cezar P. Consing, the company’s president and CEO, said.

‘While investments in new initiatives have kept net income slightly negative, we are convinced that the company is worth considerably more and what we have invested in it,’ he said.

Consing said they want to take the company closer to the hearts of the Filipino, through retail.

Recently, it brought Australian brand Anko to the Philippines, which can only be seen in Ayala Malls. In the coming months, the company is also bringing Makro into the country, a brand it left in 2004, saying the business was not among its core competencies; and also Spinneys, the leading premium fresh food supermarket chain in the United Arab Emirates.

The MVP Group

Over the last 20 years, one company stood out: the MVP group, or for short, the companies led by Manuel V. Pangilinan. The group is mostly funded by Indonesian businessman Anthoni Salim, through Hong Kong-listed First Pacific Co. Ltd.

Aside from PLDT Inc., the country’s largest telecom company, the MVP group is in every fabric of Filipino lives. It operates power distributor Manila Electric Co., West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc., which is also in the thick of their initial public offering. It is also a power generator, toll road operator, a television network owner and even owns hospitals including Makati Medical Center and Asian Hospital. The company is changing how hospitals should be managed in order to sustain its operations, and taking in American global investment fund KKR, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co., as its minority owners.

Each of the MVP group’s business is being handled by capable managers, but one issue sticks out: who will replace Pangilinan himself.

When asked if the MVP group has a succession management problem, Pangilinan answered: ‘I’d like to deny that it’s true, but it is true’.

‘Yes, well, you know, I’m 78 (now 79 years old) and, you know, approaching the twilight of my career, right? So, succession questions have been raised quite a number of times now and even in the past. It’s something that I really have to think about, not only the group taken as a whole, but also each of these individual companies,’ he said.

San Miguel group

On many of Pangilinan’s ventures, his stiff competitor has been San Miguel Corp.

San Miguel is the best case of a company that mandated itself to diversify from being Southeast Asia’s first brewery, into one of the pillars of the Philippine economy, and accounts for at least 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

From brewing beer, it bought liquor maker Ginebra, which was once owned by the Ayala family; and then ventured into food through Pure Foods; then packaging and fuel through Petron Corp., other heavy industries such as energy, toll roads, among others. It buys its way into the sector that it wants to be in.

To date, the company through the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), now operates Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is building its own P873-billion airport in Bulacan, called New Manila International Airport; as well as MRT7, and toll roads through South Luzon Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

Ramon S. Ang, who played a pivotal role in transforming the company to a behemoth that it is today, said the focus for the company is to finish its Bulacan airport, which could take another 10 years, and other 10 years to get its own market.

‘This project is a game changer. The Philippines is just hoping for OFWs (overseas Fiipino workers and BPO (business process outsourcing for jobs and dollars). What we need is another push from tourism,’ Ang said.

New wave of change

For the next few years, many aging companies are up on their toes as a new wave of change is coming.

Donald Patrick Lim, president and COO of DITO CME Holdings Corp., and the chief innovation officer of the Udenna Corp. of Davao businessman Dennis Uy, said for the first time there will be a multigenerational workforce-composed of five generations. These were the Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Y and Gen Z.

‘With an intergenerational generation, we also see the rise now of a what we call a synthetic workforce. So with the synthetic works coming in more and more, you will see AI (artificial intelligence) coming in and we will be relying on,’ Lim said.

‘It’s not going to be a very far future. It’s not also midterm; it’s very near term where you will have literally a robot, not a robot per se, but a machine that will be helping you do a lot of things on their own,’ he said.

He said every company right now should have a very strong push towards AI governance from a corporate perspective.

‘Because AI, as we all know, will displace a lot of jobs, will displace a lot of things of how we do our work,’ he said.

Lim said the usual playbook of ‘I have 20 years’ experience you have to follow me,’ will have to change.

Every conglomerate will have to be nimble to go forward into the next 20 years.

If that sounds scary, look back to the past 20 years, and imagine where we would all be if the captains of industry got cold feet at the notion of change.

EVEN with the appeal of the religious sect Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), Malacañang refused to budge on its position not to interfere with the investigation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

INC had called on the ICI to make its hearings public to ensure the credibility of its recommendations on cases which should be filed against contractors as well as government officials and personnel involved in anomalous public works.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Wednesday that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. shares the position of the INC, he maintained his position not to interfere with its affairs.

‘The President, in all circumstances, wants transparency. In all investigations, there should be transparency, nothing is hidden,’ she said in Filipino in a press briefing in Malacañang last Wednesday.

‘But how the ICI will do this, how it can be made public, how they will be transparent and to what extent, that is up to the ICI,’ she added.

INC is considered an influential religious group since its members are known for exercising bloc voting during elections, which gives advantage to the candidates it will endorse.

When asked about the move in Congress to pass a bill, which will give more powers to the ICI, Castro said that the President will study the proposal.

‘Maybe we should see first the detailed information [of the bill] so we can study it and if it is necessary to issue a certificate for urgency [for the bill]. That is what the President will do after he reads what they will [propose],’ Castro said.

There were rumors that one member of the three-man ICI already wanted to resign due to supposed lack of powers. Castro said the ICI already denied that rumor.

Created by Executive Order (EO) No. 94, the three-member ICI was tasked to investigate substandard and non-existent flood control projects.

The creation of the ICI drew criticism from some groups since its role was only to recommend to concerned government agencies the prosecution of the involved individuals or parties.

Castro, however, defended the ICI’s creation, saying it will fast-track the investigation and filing of charges against the erring parties.

‘Would they want only the Ombudsman to work [on these cases]? So how long will it take us to finish a case?’ she said.

‘So, there really needs to be an independent commission that will focus and collect, investigate documents so that when they are submitted and recommended for filing, they can just review them,’ she added.

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed multiple tax charges against contractors Pacifico and Cezarah Rowena Discaya for evading P7.182 billion in tax liabilities.

On Wednesday, the BIR filed criminal cases against the Discayas and their corporate officer after several investigations uncovered that the couple has unpaid individual income taxes, excise taxes on nine luxury vehicles and documentary stamp taxes on their supposed divestment from their four construction firms.

‘Curlee and Sarah Discaya are guilty of not paying their taxes. They failed to pay proper income taxes, excise taxes, even documentary stamp taxes. Government contractors are engaged to do public works and are paid through public funds; there is no reason why they should not pay their own share of taxes,’ Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui was quoted in a statement as saying.

According to the BIR, the Discayas failed to pay billions in income taxes from taxable years 2018 to 2021.

The BIR also found that the Discayas did not file the excise tax returns and pay the excise taxes of nine luxury vehicles registered under their names based on the records of the Land Transportation Office.

Moreover, the Discayas failed to file a documentary stamp tax (DST) return and pay their DSTs.

General Information Sheets of the four Discaya-owned construction firms-St. Gerrard, St. Timothy, St. Matthew, and Alpha and Omega-showed the couple made several transfers or disposals of shares of stocks from the companies.

The Discayas claimed that they had divested from such companies during the legislative hearings on flood control projects.

However, an investigation by the BIR revealed that the Discayas failed to file DST returns and pay the DSTs to properly execute the transfer of shares.

‘This means that not only did they fail to file the return and pay the corresponding taxes, they also failed to divest from any of these four companies as their beneficial owners,’ the BIR explained.

Lumagui said the Discayas never divested from the four companies since the BIR has no record of any return or payment for such divestment, particularly that of documentary stamp taxes. ‘They never divested because they never paid the corresponding taxes necessary for such divestment.’

‘The cases filed today are merely the tip of the iceberg.Once we have finished our audit of the Discaya-owned construction firms, we expect findings of billions of tax deficiencies,’ Lumagui added.

If the BIR discovers more taxes that have not been paid, the filing of tax charges will continue.

‘The same is true for other contractors and public officials involved in anomalous flood control projects,’ the BIR warned.

In his speech to celebrate the historic occasion, Ambassador Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke highlighted shared values with the Philippines as he drew parallelisms with his country’s unification and the peaceful revolution in Edsa. He also called for partnerships in the Indo-Pacific amid a challenging regional environment, as Europe also faces similar threats with the invasion of Ukraine. The envoy thanked friends and colleagues who have stood together in solidarity and friendship. Also raising their glasses for the celebration are Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Administration Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega (center) and Dean of the Diplomatic Corp Archbishop Charles John Brown DD. MIKE POLICARPIO

GREATER agricultural trade between Trkiye and the Philippines is expected following the trade mission attended by members of the Trkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).

In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Ambassador Niyazi Evren Akyol said more poultry products are expected for export to the Philippines, while he anticipates a higher volume of fresh and dried fruits from the latter.

‘We are in contact [and] in touch with the Department of Agriculture.going through the necessary procedures,’ Akyol told journalists. ‘The possibilities are wide, but we are trying to focus on a few first, and then expand from there.’

The envoy was scheduled to meet Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. afterward, adding that Trkiye is also considering a further hike in defense equipment exports to the Philippines.

According to Akyol, his country is in contact with the Department of National Defense (DND) but declined to elaborate, except for saying that the Philippines’ acquisition is in line with the Defense Department’s modernization program, now dubbed Re-Horizon 3 after it was expanded into a 10-year program from the original five years.

‘We are, of course, in touch with the DND and the branches of the Armed Forces. And there is great interest in a variety of products,’ he shared.

In his speech, TIM’s head of delegation Ali Can Yamanyilmaz said the Philippines is an important trade partner of Trkiye, since it is ‘one of the most dynamic and high-growth economies in the region.’

Yamanyilmaz said Trkiye’s exports to the Philippines was about $140 million in 2024; imports from the latter amounted to $254 million in the same year.

He said the defense and aerospace industries drove export growth to the Philippines in the first seven months this year, after rising by 164 percent on an annual basis, and was followed by jewelry, 55 percent; electrical electronics, 26 percent; and grains, 11 percent.

‘We look forward to building our ties and enabling more of our 150,000 exporters to participate in this promising market,’ the TIM official noted.

TWO years after its launch, the award-winning bamboo-engineered school furniture known as Silyang Pinoy-a chair-and-table set that transforms into a bed during evacuations-has yet to secure full adoption in Philippine schools, as its creators await a green light from the Department of Education (DepEd).

Edward Paul Marasigan, project leader of Silyang Pinoy at the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI), told BusinessMirror in a phone interview that while talks with DepEd are ongoing, progress was hampered by the transition in leadership from former secretary Sara Duterte to Secretary Sonny Angara.

He said his team had already endorsed Silyang Pinoy, which won a silver award at the 2024 Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) in South Korea, to Angara and Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral, who recommended pilot testing in selected schools in the National Capital Region and Region IV-A to assess its performance.

Talks resumed only recently during the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council (PBIDC) forum, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and partner agencies such as Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) for Bamboo Month. There, Marasigan presented the project anew to DepEd officials, who agreed to reassess the design on the condition that its core feature-as a convertible bamboo bed frame-remains intact.

‘Hopefully, DepEd will adopt this because it offers many benefits. Our country is often hit by typhoons, especially from September to December, and schools frequently serve as evacuation centers. In those situations, Silyang Pinoy can be especially useful,’ he said partly in Filipino.

The project, Marasigan added, was inspired by the country’s vulnerability to disasters and by Executive Order 879 (2010), which mandates that at least 25 percent of DepEd’s school furniture requirements be made from bamboo.

‘Hopefully, our policymakers will support us. This would be a big giveback to our people, especially since we are often struck by disasters and calamities. It truly fits the needs of our communities,’ he said.

The Philippines has an estimated 39,000 to 53,000 hectares of land planted with bamboo, capable of producing about 1.8 million culms annually, equivalent to roughly 2 metric tons for export, data from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) showed.

In 2021, the industry generated P143 million in domestic sales, supported 10,898 jobs and 5,012 MSMEs, and attracted P89.2 million in investments.

According to DOST-FPRDI Director Rico J. Cabangon, timely bamboo harvesting is crucial, as the plant typically dies within eight to 10 years; if left unharvested, it only goes to waste but also emits greenhouse gases.

‘Bamboo is a very important plant, not only in the Philippines but all over the world,’ Cabangon said in the forum.

In a separate event, he told BusinessMirror that sourcing school desks and armchairs from bamboo for DepEd would provide a ‘significant boost to the local industry. He added that traditional furniture designs also remain relevant, but enhancing bamboo-based products could make them more marketable.

Marasigan, meanwhile, recommended that even if the Silyang Pinoy project has not been fully adopted, the education department should at least require suppliers to use certified engineered bamboo from local sources, verified by DTI or other concerned agencies, to meet the rising demand. He noted that during furniture testing, some suppliers admitted that their raw materials were imported.

DepEd engineer Martin Joseph Sundo echoed this point, saying future bidding requirements could be revised to ensure certification that bamboo used in engineered furniture is locally sourced.

‘Right now, the bidding only checks general requirements such as permits. It would be better to have a separate certification specifically stating that all bamboo used is local,’ he said.

‘Definitely, farmers are the most important beneficiaries beyond the end users, who are the students,’ Sundo added.

However, Sundo explained that the school furniture program, a component of the Basic Education Facilities Fund, is responsible for providing desks and chairs to public classrooms and has prompted a push to redefine a ‘functional classroom’ to formally include such furniture.

‘We’ve been pushing for the reclassification or redefinition of a functional classroom to include school furniture,’ Sundo said.

He noted, however, that procurement is currently handled centrally, which limits the participation of smaller suppliers.

‘If school furniture is procured at the division or regional level, it will be more beneficial to smaller players. Right now, it’s centrally procured, so it’s too big, and small-time farmers won’t be able to enter,’ Sundo explained.

Reports show that between 2017 and 2019, DepEd distributed about 2.67 million chairs and desks made of plastic, wood, or metal-but none made of engineered bamboo.

In 2024, prototype units of the engineered school furniture were distributed to schools in Apayao, Palawan, and Camiguin-areas frequently hit by typhoons and often used as evacuation centers. Marasigan, meanwhile, said the feedback from these schools has been positive, and additional units are now lined up for testing in Zamboanga del Sur and Bukidnon.

He added that local government units, as well as legislators from Negros Occidental, have also expressed interest in supporting its wider rollout.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has turned over a total of P2.6 million of farm machineries and equipment (FMEs) to two agrarian reform beneficiaries’ (ARB) organizations (ARBOs) to boost the income of small farmers in Ifugao province.

Funded under the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF), the initiative aims to empower ARBs and support rural enterprises in the province.

DAR said they expect farmers to benefit from increased productivity, reduced costs, and improved market access.

In Alfonso Lista, the agency handed over a P1.438-million hauling truck to the San Quintin Rural Improvement Club Inc. (RIC).

The vehicle is expected to provide a faster and safer mode of transporting farm produce and reduce postharvest losses, cut costs, and expand market opportunities for ARB members.

RIC President Eliza Sevilleja said the new vehicle will significantly support the cooperative’s mission of promoting sustainable agriculture and community empowerment.

‘This hauling truck will greatly ease the burden of our local farmers.’

Meanwhile, in Lamut, DAR also turned over a P1.2-million four-wheel-drive tractor to the One Lamut Agriculture Cooperative (OLAC). The tractor is expected to improve land preparation, reduce production costs, and enhance the overall efficiency of OLAC’s farmer-members.

OLAC General Manager Grace Marie Balaquit said the provision of the tractor will strengthen the cooperative’s operations and inspire members to improve their services.

Both turnovers were formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and Trust Agreement between DAR-Ifugao and the recipient ARBOs, outlining clear guidelines for the use, management, and maintenance of the machinery.

DAR officials, led by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer (PARPO) II Laurence Bulayungan and Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer (CARPO) Leonor Bascos, emphasized that DAR’s mandate extends beyond land distribution to include vital support services that directly uplift farmers’ livelihoods.

The twin projects demonstrate DAR-Ifugao’s ongoing efforts to promote mechanization and rural enterprise development. Beyond easing farm labor and transport challenges, the new machinery is expected to foster cooperative growth, create more income opportunities, and contribute to the broader socio-economic development of agrarian reform communities in the province.