President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has approved the appointment of acting members of the board of directors of the Food Terminal, Inc., led by lawyer Christopher Banas.
FTI, a government-owned corporation located in a 24-hectare property in Taguig City, provides prime industrial and commercial lots for medium-to-long term leases, and industrial buildings with standard-sized stalls for office, warehouse or small-scale processing operations.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. envisions a bigger role for FTI to help farmers and fisherfolk store their products and increase incomes with the establishment of cold storage facilities that used to be housed in the complex.
The FTI Complex was the first home of the KADIWA Center when it was established in April 1980.
Created during the watch of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, FTI suspended food trading and food processing, including slaughter operations in 1989 due to conflict with free trade market forces. Cold storage also ceased operations in 2004 due to technical problems and viability concerns.
Banas is officer-in-charge of the Office of the Executive Director of Department of Agriculture’s Regional Field Office IV.
Also appointed to the FTI board are Thelma Cueva Tolentino, Marissa Jimenez Caldoza, Stanley Sy Chona, Raul Edmund Barcelon Felix, and Sheldon Gonzales Jacaban.
The last four appointees to the FTI board are replacements of directors Angelito Garcia, Marian Luis Versoza Jr., Maria Theresa Teves-Castanos, and Robert Tan.
