ROMBLON, Philippines – At the heart of the Philippines stands Romblon, a lush, laid-back province that is known for its marble and copra industries. At the height of the country’s tourism industry, Romblon prepared to ride on the travel trend, with many spots waiting to be appreciated by local and foreign visitors alike.
Tourism, however, was cut short at the onset of the unprecedented global health crisis, forcing Romblon to explore other areas to sustain its economy.
A family-run diversified holdings company led by brothers Alex and Raymond Abelido, Legacy Construction Corporation saw potential in the province even before the pandemic hit and laid foundations of accessibility, self-sufficiency, and livelihood that not only helped the company thrive but also ensured that Romblon sustains itself.
Brothers Alex and Raymond Abelido continue the legacy of building communities through their diversified holdings company.
All roads lead to Romblon
The Cross Country Road in Tablas Island, Romblon makes all municipalities in the area accessible.
Romblon’s economic activity was not spared by quarantine restrictions due to COVID-19. To weather these challenges, locals decided to return to agriculture and maximize their own land.
“Romblon is a mountainous area, and although locals had land to farm on, access to them was one of the biggest challenges,” Alex Abelido, President of Legacy Construction Corporation, shared.
With their over 20 years in the construction industry, Legacy Construction developed and improved roads in the province that increased accessibility to these lands and cut travel time short.The Lubi – Binoog road allows travelers to traverse mountains and cuts the travel time from either end of the island from a one-hour and thirty minute drive to just thirty minutes.
The company also constructed flood control projects, slope protection, school buildings, multi-purpose buildings and improvement of health facilities.
Growing your own
Legacy Farms produces approximately 50,000 eggs per day to supplement supply for the entire Tablas Island.
Romblon imports most of its meat and agriculture supply from other areas in the country, particularly Batangas and even as far as Baguio. Unfavorable weather and other challenges in transportation and logistics may mean disruptions in supply.
Legacy Construction’s diversification into agriculture with Legacy Farms has envisioned a province that can meet the demands of its own locals.
“Eggs, for instance, are imported from Batangas. Any weather disruptions could mean a spike in egg prices, if there’s any egg available at all,” Raymond Abelido, Director for Operations of Legacy Construction shared.
In Tablas alone, around 75,000 eggs a day are needed to sustain the entire island. Currently, Legacy Farms produces approximately 50,000 eggs a day and continues to improve production to make the island completely self-sufficient.
“Apart from the pride of knowing that Romblon now has its own eggs, producing our own eggs result in several positive impacts. Small businesses in the food industry can now thrive as there’s a steady egg supply, and we can help prepare the industry to accommodate an influx of people, locals and tourists, once the economy opens,” Raymond added.
Additionally, the company has also ventured into cattle farming to address the scarcity of meat in the province.
Motivated and empowered
Local farmers plant various types of feeds for cattle farming.
As restrictions continue to affect employment in the province, many locals experience difficulty looking for a sustainable source of income. With Legacy Construction’s vision to make Romblon self-sufficient, investments in the area continue to create opportunities for employment and local growth.
“In cattle farming, we need to have a steady supply of feeds so we decided to allocate space in the farm for that,” Raymond explained. “As we were looking for people to tend to the fields, we realized that we can employ locals to help us grow the land.”
Romblomanon farmer, Maria Cesar shared that she had to do any type of work just to sustain her family. “Working on the farm provided me the comfort of knowing I have a steady source of income to augment my husband’s salary, aside from meeting new people and learning new skills.” She added.
The company also provided capacity building efforts to farmers, especially those like Cesar who was new to farming.
Alex shared that Legacy Construction envisions communities where they operate to grow and thrive alongside them.
“There are many opportunities outside key cities in the Philippines, such as Romblon, and these communities just need to be supported so they can flourish,” Alex explained. “As we continue to tap into these areas, Legacy Construction also hopes to help unlock the potential of these communities.”
ADVT