Sulu is now 2nd Class province; sets more goals

Sulu Governor Hajji Sakur Tan, DH.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 24, 2009) - With sustained peace and development programs and a bullish economy, Sulu now has been upgraded from a 3rd Class province to 2nd Class and various business groups have largely attributed this to the governor of Sulu, Sakur Tan.

According to the Department of Finance, Sulu’s classification was upgraded also based on its Financial Statements duly certified by the Commission on Audit and in accordance with the income ranges prescribed in the Department Order No. 23-08. Financial figures and data were not immediately available.

Sulu has met all the requirements it needed as 2nd Class province, said Finance Executive Director Maria Presentacion Montesa.

”This is good news to us. At last Sulu is now recovering from what it was in previous administrations. Governor Sakur Tan is an excellent manager, a hardworking executive and good civil servant and that’s why we are progressing,” one Chinese-Filipino trader, who runs a chain of shops in Jolo town, said by phone from Jolo.

For his part, Tan said the progress of Sulu can be attributed to its people who have supported his reforms and programs. “This is not because of me. Everyone has played a crucial role – from the village leaders, the town officials, the provincial board members, the business, academe and religious sectors, the community and most especially the ordinary people whom we pledged to serve,” he said in a separate interview.

Tan said more development and infrastructure projects have been lined up for different areas in Sulu. He said the provincial government is pursuing more programs and projects on agricultural, education and health, community development and people empowerment, as part of Sulu’s peace and development agenda.

Infrastructure and other humanitarian projects are also continuing in Sulu, he said.

Many local farmers have also resorted to planting coffee beans from the traditional cassava because of its competitive prices and high market demands. Tan said the demand for Sulu’s Arabica and Robusta coffee beans is high because of its good quality and distinct aroma.

Tan has recently organized the Sulu Provincial Coffee Industry Development Task Force (Kahawa Sug) which aims to enhance and facilitate the implementation of the coffee development plan.

“We have come up with a plan designed to further improve coffee production in Sulu in order to enhance the socio-economic condition of the coffee farmers. We have the best coffee beans in the southern Philippines,” Tan said.

He said coffee farmers can derive greater economic benefits by adopting improve technology on coffee growing techniques introduced by Nestle Philippines.

“This is being done by putting up nursery for selected coffee clones and give bountiful harvest of green seeds and the establishment of technology demonstrations to guide farmers on the right plantation management practices, reviving the productivity of coffee trees thru pruning and rejuvenation thus improving the production and qualities of coffee beans,” he said.

Aside from coffee beans, Sulu is a supplier of abaca ropes, marine products, rubber and copra. The province is also abundant in fruits such as durian and mangosteen berries, among others. (Mindanao Examiner)

Kano Nagbuhos Ng Proyekto Sa Sulu

Ang mala-paraisong beaches sa lalawigan ng Sulu ay maihahalintulad sa Boracay o mga resorts sa Phuket sa Thailand. Tatlong malalaking proyekto ang ilulunsad ng Estados Unidos sa lalawigan na patuloy sa pagunlad. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

SULU (Mindanao Examiner / 23 Sept) – Tatlong malalaking proyekto ng Estados Unidos ang ilulunsad ngayon sa Sulu bilang pagtugon at suporta sa patuloy na pag-unlad at katahimikan sa lalawigan.

Kabilang sa mga proyekto ay ibat-ibang infrastructure projects, patubig at kuryente. Inaasahang dadaluhan ng matatas na opisyal ng embahada ng Estados Unidos at maging sa embahada ng Britanya.

Isang opisyal ng Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) ang nagsabi sa Mindanao Examiner na ang proyekto ay bahagi ng pagtugon ng Estados Unidos, partikular ang United States Agency for Internatinal Development (USAID), sa katahimkan at pag-unlad ng Sulu.

Maganda umano ngayon ang kasiguruhan at pangangalakal sa Sulu kung ihahambing sa mga nakalipas na taon, kung kaya’t nabiyayaan ang lalawigan ng malalakign proyekto.

Natuwa naman si Gov. Sakur Tan at sinabi nito na ang patuloy na pagunlad ng Sulu ay sa kadahilanan ng pakikipagtulungan ng mga ahensya ng pamahalaan at mga bayan dito, gayun rin ang suporta ng mga business groups sa lalawigan at mga nongovernmental organizations at mamamayan at mga Ulama.

“Marami ang nagtatrabaho ngayon para sa ikauunlad ng Sulu at nais naming ipakita sa buong bansa at buong mundo na sa pagkakaisa ay may bagong pag-asa,” ani Tan sa hiwalay na panayam.

Ang USAID ang siyang nasa likod ng AMORE – ito’y 7 taon na proyekto sa pakikipagtulungan sa pamahalaan at Department of Energy sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). (Mindanao Examiner)

Basilan Continues To Reap Fruits Of Peace

The construction of many infra-projects, such as the Matarling Bridge in Basilan island in Southern RP, is proof of a progressive province, now reaping the fruits of peace and development. (Sonny Mendoza)

BASILAN ISLAND (Sonny Mendoza / 09 Feb) – Basilan island in the southern Philippines is fast becoming progressive as more investments and infrastructure projects continue in the province, just several miles off Zamboanga City.

President Gloria Arroyo lauded Basilan, including Sulu and Tawi-Tawi for their economic gains through out the years. She even cited the hamburger fast food chain Jolibee which opened last year in Basilan.

She said the opening of Jolibee is not only a concrete indication of the improved purchasing power of Basileños, but also demonstrates the “peace-driven” progress that is taking root in this once strife-torn island. As a further testimonial to Basilan’s increased stability and economic growth, six Manila-based ambassadors, led by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who had visited the province late last year, ate lunch in Jolibee.

The diplomats also noted the bright economic prospects of the province, and they pledged to support Basilan’s continued peace and development efforts. It is not only the presence of a well-established food chain that is encouraging investors to view Basilan’s business potential more seriously.

The province’s improving infrastructure facilities are also helping to transform Basilan into a viable trade and investment destination.

According to Jam Rivera, Executive Director of the Basilan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the government infrastructure projects are undoubtedly a major component of their province’s march towards progress. “Infrastructure projects are very conspicuous signs of development,” he said.

To illustrate his point, Rivera describes the ongoing construction of the Matarling Bridge in the Municipality of Lantawan. Once the bridge is completed, Rivera said it will send a strong signal to local and foreign investors that Basilan is preparing itself for increased business activity.

“In order to entice business people to invest in an area, the necessary infrastructure facilities should be put in place. We are glad to note that the Basilan provincial government has identified infrastructure development as among its top priorities,” he said.

Scheduled for completion this month, the two-lane, 60-meter concrete bridge will ensure faster and more efficient movement of people and goods traversing the Isabela City-Lantawan-Maluso route.

The new facility will replace the old 42-year old, one-lane bridge, which has a capacity limit of 15 metric tons and can no longer accommodate the area’s rapidly increasing traffic volume.

The Matarling Bridge is among the forty-one Regional Impact Projects being built—in partnership with provincial and local authorities— by USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict-affected areas in the island-region.

The construction of this facility is being undertaken in partnership with the Provincial Government of Basilan. Each of the projects constructed by GEM is designed to augment economic activity within a specific region of Mindanao.

Tahir Latip, Basilan provincial engineer, said Matarling Bridge will complement the circumferential road, which is being upgraded to accommodate increased two-way traffic.
Latip echoes Rivera’s view that economic activity in the area will significantly increase with the completion and full utilization of the new road and bridge.

“Improved mobility will help promote higher agricultural production, ensure the wider distribution of farm inputs, and stimulate the growth of agriculture-related industries in the province,” he said.

Basilan is the country's leading rubber producer and home to the plantations of major rubber companies such as B.F. Goodrich and Menzi. Other major crops produced in the province include coconut, coffee, black pepper, seaweeds and various marine products.

These products are shipped to major markets in Visayas and Luzon through a Roll-on, Roll-off (RORO) port, also built by USAID’s GEM Program, in the municipality of Maluso.

Since its construction, the port has significantly reduced the cost of doing business for local traders, as goods are now efficiently loaded and unloaded from vessels thus avoiding the damage and additional costs that are normally encountered when using the traditional mode of shipping products by sea.

Rivera said President Arroyo’s inclusion of the Basilan infra-projects in her State of the Nation Address, highlighted the progress in the province that helped promotes Basilan as business-friendly.

“The local business community is very grateful to President Arroyo for citing Basilan in her SONA. We hope to use the President’s statement to our full advantage by aggressively promoting the province as an ideal business and tourism location,” he states.

In fact, Rivera said Basilan’s successful hosting of last year’s ARMM Business Congress was a testament to the province’s capacity to organize major trade and investment events, and is an indication of the Mindanao business sector’s confidence in Basilan’s stable peace and order situation.

Rivera said the local business community is thankful to foreign donors, such as USAID, for their assistance to the province over the years. “In particular, USAID’s various infrastructure projects have enabled Basilan’s residents to conduct trading and other business activities more efficiently, and consequently, have helped uplift economic conditions in the province,” he said.

USAID’s level of commitment to the province of Basilan was summarized by USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios during his visit to the province in October 2004.

Natsios said: “When USAID comes to a village, a province or a region, it does not stay for a few days, a few weeks or a few months. It stays for years. We have a long-term commitment here.”