Pilmico Foods Corporation, bekerja sama dengan Aboitiz Foundation Inc. menandatangani Nota Kesepahaman dengan Universitas Mindanao Tengah untuk membangun fasilitas penelitian dan pelatihan peternakan.

Mahasiswa Pertanian dan Kedokteran Hewan dari Central Mindanao University (CMU) akan segera memiliki fasilitas penelitian dan pelatihan modern di kampus mereka berkat sumbangan dari Aboitiz Group.

Pilmico Foods Corporation, bekerja sama dengan Aboitiz Foundation Inc., membangun kompleks penelitian & pengembangan yang canggih di Central Mindanao University (CMU), sebagai bagian dari upayanya untuk meningkatkan peternakan dan manajemen di wilayah tersebut.

Fasilitas yang akan disebut "Kompleks Pelatihan Peternakan" ini akan berlokasi di dalam kompleks universitas dan akan dikelola oleh University Income Generation Program (UIGP) CMU. Fasilitas ini akan menjadi pusat pelatihan, pusat penelitian dan pengembangan, serta laboratorium yang lengkap, di mana para mahasiswa, spesialis, dan peternak dapat terpapar, terjun langsung, dan dilatih dalam produksi babi, unggas, dan akuakultur yang berkualitas tinggi.

"Kompleks Pelatihan Peternakan akan menjadi tempat untuk berbagi pengetahuan, penelitian dan inovasi... Sebuah fasilitas modern yang lengkap dengan alat dan teknologi terbaru tentang genetika babi, nutrisi hewan, inseminasi buatan, dan manajemen peternakan, yang dapat dimanfaatkan oleh seluruh masyarakat," ujar Jefferson Abian, Asisten Wakil Presiden Pilmico untuk Penjualan-Pakan di Mindanao.

Sementara itu, dalam pesannya yang ditujukan kepada Universitas Mindanao Tengah, FVP & COO Aboitiz Foundation Maribeth Marasigan mengatakan:

"Dalam beberapa bulan lagi, sebuah fasilitas kelas atas akan berdiri. Saya membayangkannya sebagai pusat pembelajaran dan pertumbuhan di area ini karena saya melihat para peserta didik kami, yang meliputi siswa, petani, dan bahkan spesialis, sebagai inovator masa depan dan pendorong perubahan positif... Kami di Grup Aboitiz berharap Anda akan memaksimalkan investasi dan bantuan kami saat kami bekerja sama untuk mendorong perubahan demi dunia yang lebih baik."

Ma Luisa Soliven mengungkapkan rasa terima kasihnya kepada Pilmico, Aboitiz Foundation dan semua pihak yang "bekerja sangat keras untuk mewujudkan proyek ini menjadi kenyataan - demi kebaikan universitas dan para mahasiswa kami, karyawan kami, serta orang-orang di komunitas kami."

Kompleks Pelatihan Peternakan ini diharapkan akan selesai pada bulan Agustus 2018.

Pertanyaan yang Sering Diajukan

Why is this type of infrastructure investment strategically important for the Philippine livestock sector?
Livestock productivity in the Philippines is constrained partly by limited access to modern training, scientific knowledge, and research infrastructure — particularly outside of Luzon. A facility at CMU in Mindanao places advanced livestock training resources where much of the Philippines’ livestock production actually occurs. By investing in training infrastructure rather than direct subsidies, Pilmico and Aboitiz Foundation create long-term capacity improvements that outlast any single donation cycle and benefit successive generations of farmers and agricultural professionals.

What is the Livestock Training Complex and where will it be built?
The Livestock Training Complex is a state-of-the-art research and development facility being constructed within the campus of Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Bukidnon, funded by Pilmico Foods Corporation in partnership with Aboitiz Foundation. It will be managed by CMU’s University Income Generation Program. The facility will house a training center, research and development hubs, and fully equipped laboratories where students, specialists, and backyard farmers can receive hands-on training in swine genetics, animal nutrition, artificial insemination, and farm management.

What motivated Pilmico and Aboitiz Foundation to choose Central Mindanao University as the partner institution?
CMU is an agricultural and engineering university whose primary mandate includes training the next generation of agriculture and veterinary medicine professionals in Mindanao. Partnering with an established academic institution ensures that the facility benefits from existing academic infrastructure, faculty expertise, and a continuous pipeline of students who can learn from it. The CMU partnership also gives the complex credibility as a research institution — not merely a vocational training center — elevating the quality of knowledge produced there.

What was the expected timeline and completion target for the complex?
The Livestock Training Complex was expected to be completed by August 2018, giving the university a fully functional facility within a few months of the groundbreaking. This timeline reflects a commitment to moving quickly from ceremonial agreement to operational impact — ensuring that the investment translates into actual training capacity without extended construction delays that would defer the community benefits.

What did Pilmico’s Mindanao sales leadership say about the facility’s intended purpose?
Pilmico Assistant VP for Feeds Sales in Mindanao, Jefferson Abian, described the Livestock Training Complex as providing a venue for knowledge-sharing, R&D, and innovation — complete with the latest tools and technologies on swine genetics, animal nutrition, artificial insemination, and farm management. His framing explicitly positions the facility as benefiting the whole community — not just university students — making it a shared regional resource for farmers, specialists, and students alike.