Sulu on its way to peace and progress

Sulu's Tourism Campaign Poster

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 27, 2009) – Provincial governor Sakur Tan said more development and infrastructure projects have been lined up for different areas in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.

Tan also urged farmers and fishermen in different municipalities in the province to form themselves into cooperatives so they can avail of government loans and more support to fisheries and agricultural programs.

He said although many groups have already formed into cooperatives, there are still more opportunity for the locals to start their own and eventually become self-sustaining.

“We are strongly advocating and promoting cooperatives throughout Sulu. We want everybody to enjoy the benefits of having cooperatives and pursue a sustainable livelihood programs,” Tan told reporters.

He also encouraged local women to organize cooperatives in their localities and help in nation building. “We have equal rights in Sulu. Our women are hardworking and intelligent and they can become good leaders too, just like our hardworking Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidulla and the others in the private and business sectors,” Tan said. "We are on our way to peace and progress and all we need is to sustain our gains."

Tan said the provincial government is also 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.

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)

World Class Resort Eyed in Sulu Island

Children play on a beach in Sulu province in the southern Philippines. Sulu is eyeing the development of Panglima Tahil Island to attract tourists. The island is known for its white sands and pristine beaches. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 19, 2009) - The Sulu provincial government has unveiled a master plan that will see the rising of an ultra-modern beach resort in Panglima Tahil island as a come-on for both local and foreign tourists.

A plan is afoot to build a P50-million resort on this scenic islet that would erase the stigma of Sulu as a war-torn province, the Philippine News Agency reported.

The indefatigable Sulu Governor Sakur Tan said there is plan to develop the Panglima Tahil, about 10 kilometers west of the capital town Jolo, and make it a haven for nature-lovers and tourists.

The island province of Sulu, situated in the southernmost portion of the country, is blessed with rich natural resources.

Tan noted that tapping the island’s potentials could uplift the economic conditions of its citizens. Sulu boasts of its pristine beaches, particularly on the island municipality of Panglima Tahil, where the Sulu provincial government plans to put up the resort, just 10 minutes by boat from Jolo.

The project is geared to put Sulu in the map as a world-class tourist destination and showcase its natural beauty and promote the beautiful province which has been unfairly tagged by media reports as a troubled island.

The establishment of a beach resort on the island will improve the peace and order condition in Sulu because it will bring socioeconomic benefits to the people through job creation and sale of indigenous and local products, thus addressing the high poverty incidence, Tan said.

The beach resort plan is a complex replete with modern recreational facilities such as water sports, diving activities, court games, and production and sale parks for ethnic ware, jewelry, traditional clothes and handicrafts. It will have its own power and water supply system, Tan said.

The project also proposes an artisan village, a venue and school for performing arts and modern telecommunications centers. The governor said the resort hotel will have 100 rooms, including function rooms to cater for conferences and seminars and other social activities.

Tan also said that the proposed beach resort will have modern telecommunications systems such as telephones, internet with wi-fi facilities, satellites, video, television and other amenities.

“The project will generate employment, especially to the local populace.

This will also improve the peace and order situation in the province and remove the wrong perception of the people about Sulu as a war-torn area,” he said.

“This will also locate Sulu in the map of tourism and investment destination in Southern Philippines. It would also bring significant revenues that other investors would see the viability of the tourism industry in the province.”

Sulu's tourism program is back to zero after ICRC kidnappings

Sulu tourism promotion posters. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 18, 2009) – Sulu’s tourism program has been affected by the kidnappings of three Red Cross workers and efforts to change the image of one of the country’s most beautiful island may take a little longer now.

Gunmen are still holding Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugene Vagni and Filipino Jean Lacaba, all members of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The trio was seized January 15 while on their way to the airport after inspecting sanitation projects at a prison facility in Patikul town.

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, who is actively promoting the island as a new tourism destination in the southern Philippines, said the kidnappings of the ICRC team is a big set back to the government’s campaign to attract visitors and investments in the province.

“It feels so sad to see all our tourism promotions and campaigns go to waste because of this incident, especially at a time that Sulu is progressing and peace and order is improving,” Tan said.

Tan previously said he had plans to convert some of Sulu’s islands and pristine beaches into resorts, complete with amenities and business centers and land and water vessels to transport holidaymakers.

He said Sulu’s could become like Boracay island resort in central Philippines and even more beautiful than Phuket in Thailand. Aside from Sulu’s white-sand beaches, Tan said the province also boasts of dive sites and is rich in marine resources where fishermen sell live marine products, such as groupers, lobsters and abalone.

Tan’s tourism program dubbed as “Wow Sulu,” shows the province’s beautiful spots – from unspoiled islets scattered across blue waters to virgin forests – are sites that he often boasts to visiting diplomats and even journalists.

“We hope to resolve this ICRC problem soon and start working again to bring back the glory that was taken away from us by the kidnappings. We will rise again and work hard again. Sulu is a safe place to visit and this incident is just unfortunate,” he said.

Sen. Loren Legarda last year filed a bill proposing the creation of a special economic zone and free port in Sulu to promote and hasten the industrial and economic development of the province.

She said he special zone shall be provided with transportation, telecommunication, and other facilities needed to attract legitimate and productive foreign investments, generate linkage with industries and create employment opportunities for the people of the province. (With a report from Sunny Abing)

Photo: Sulu Working Hard To Achieve Peace Again

Thousands of Muslims are expected to participate in the three-day peace caravan in Sulu province in the southern Philippines beginning July 18, says Governor Sakur Tan. The peace caravan, he says, will be held in coordination with different national government agencies on orders from President Gloria Arroyo in an effort to promote peace and development in Sulu. And below, two 105mm Howitzer cannons at a military battery base in Mount Datu in Suluare covered with vinyl. Governor Tan says the peace and order situation in the province is improving; a month after a Filipino television news crew was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf while on its way to secretly interview one of its known leader Radulan Sahiron. Governor Tan appeals to journalists not to interview or glorify the Abu Sayyaf group. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Sulu Airport Expansion, Sisimulan Na!

SULU (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 27, 2008) – Sisimulan na umano ang survey sa pagpapalawak sa airport ng Sulu upang mabuksan ang mas maraming mga ruta ng eroplano sa lalawigan.

Sinabi ni Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan na ang proyekto ay bahagi ng $3 milyong pondo na inilaan ng Estados Unidos matapos na humingi ng tulong ang Pangulong Gloria Arroyo kay President George Bush na palakihin ang naturang runway sa bayan ng Jolo.

“Malaki an gating pasasalamat kay Pangulong Gloria Arroyo at sa pamahalaan ng Estados Unidos dahil sa tulong na mapalaki ang ating airport at tiyak na ang mga mamamayan ang makikinabang dito sa proyekto,” ani ng pilantropong si Tan.

Maglalaan rin umano ng ilang ektaryang lupain si Tan para sa mahigit 200 pamilyang maaapektuhan ng expansion ng airport. At kung matatapos ang proyekto sa susunod na taon ay maaari ng makalapag ang masmalalaking eroplano sa Sulu tulad ng Airbus at iba pa. (Mindanao Examiner)

World Earth Day: Sulu Joins Coastal Clean-Up Campaign

Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, 2nd from left, and US military commander Col. Bill Coultrup, left, pick up pieces of garbage in the coastal village of Mauboh in Sulu province in southern Philippines, Monday, April 21, 2008.

Elzadia Washington, of the United States Agency for International Development, accompanied by US Embassy staff, arrived in Sulu to join more than a hundred Muslim villagers and soldiers in the clean-up campaign during the World Earth Day celebration. Elzadia Washington picks up pieces of garbage in the coastal village of Mauboh. And Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan gestures as he shows to Elzadia Washington the beautiful beaches in the town of Patikul. (Sulu Media Desk Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 1, 008) – Muslim villagers joined US and Filipino troops in a coastal clean-up campaign during the World Earth Day celebration Monday in the southern province of Sulu.

Elzadia Washington, of the United States Agency for International Development, who visited Sulu province, also joined the clean-up drive in the village of Mauboh in Patikul town. Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan led the locals in the campaign.

“We are happy that people are active in caring for their environment and we will sustain this effort to ensure Sulu remains a beautiful place in this part of the country,” Tan told reporters.

Filipino marines and US troops headed by Col. Bill Coultrup joined in picking up pieces of garbage left by tides on the beach. “Along this, we are all reminded of our responsibilities, which extend beyond our own backyards. This clean-up campaign demonstrates oneness among stakeholders in caring for the waters not just in Sulu, but in fact everywhere in the world,” Marine commander Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban said.

“Every day should be coastal clean-up. And cleaning the coast through picking up garbage is the least that we can do. By giving Mother Earth a totally healthy environment, we are also acting upon our moral duty for the people we both serve and hold dear,” he said.

Washington said she is happy by the active participation of the province in the World Earth Day celebration. “Protecting the environment is important and crucial towards the progress of the nation. If environment is not protected, concerns in security may arise,” she said.

She also toured different places in Sulu and went with Tan to the Mount Datu where Washington viewed the whole of Jolo and nearby towns. Washington was all praised to the beauty of Sulu, from its pristine beaches to unspoiled jungle and friendly people. “The people are great and friendly and the place is magnificent,” she said.

Tan said the Mount Datu one of many eco-tourism sites in Sulu and a favourite among nature lovers and trekkers. While the Sulu Sea is one of the richest fishing grounds in the Philippines. “We have very beautiful places in Sulu and we are working hard to promote these places,” he said.

The Tubbataha Reef is the best known site in the Sulu Sea for its 81,000 acres of corals. It is also considered the world's best dive spot for underwater adventure. The pearls from the Sulu Archipelago are among the finest in the world, Tan said. (With reports from Nickee Butlangan and Arthur Abasalo)

Photo: Sulu Province (Jolo Island)

Ferries are anchor at the port of Jolo in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. The United States has committed millions of dollars for the rehabilitation of the port and the airport in Sulu, says Governor Sakur Tan. A few hundred American soldiers are currently stationed in Sulu, on the request of the Philippine government, to help train local troops and carry out humanitarian and development projects in the province. And a small motorized boat just off the coastal town of Jolo. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Sulu, Sasama Sa World Earth Day Clean-Up

Aliw na aliw ang mga batang ito sa kanilang mga ipinapakitang gilas sa Mauboh beach sa bayan ng Patikul sa Sulu province. Pangungunahan ni Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan ang isang massive clean-up campaign sa ibat-ibang luga sa lalawigan sa Lunes, Abril 21, 2008 sa selebrasyon ng World Earth Day. (Mindanao Examiner Photo/Nickee Butlangan)

SULU (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 19, 2008) – Isang malaking coastal clean-up ang isasagawa ng lalawigan ng Sulu bilang pakiki-isa sa selebrasyon ng World Earth Day.

Pangungunahan ni Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan ang clean-up drive sa ilang mga beaches sa lalawigan, partikulat sa bayan ng Patikul, na isang potensyal na tourist destination sa katimugan.

Sinabi ni Tan na magsisimula sa Lunes ang clean-up campaign at katuwang rin ng Sulu ang Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy Program (AMORE) ng US Agency for International Development (UAAID).

Kasama rin sa proyekto ni Tan ang mga sundalong Pinoy at Kano na ngayon ay abala sa ibat-ibang humanitarian mission sa Sulu. ‘Itong clean-up drive natin ay hindi lang dahil sa World Earth Day celebration, ngunit ito ang panimula ng sustaible ecology project ng Sulu upang makatulong naman tayo sa maling problema dulot ng climate change sanhi ng polusyon.”

‘Sisiguraduhin namin na bawat barangay ng lahat ng bayan sa Sulu ay may kaukulang pagaambag sa pananatili ng ating kalikasan at kapaligiran. Ang Sulu ay nanatiling malinis, lalo na ang aming karagatan,” wika pa ni Tan.

Ang tema ngayon taon ay tinawag na "Bayanihan para sa Kalikasan" at ayon kay Tetchie Cruz-Capellan, ng AMORE, ay Malaking hakbang ang isasagawang clean-up sa Sulu upang mapanatiling malinis ang lalawigan.

"This is a very huge concern for us since thousands of our beneficiaries in Sulu depend largely on the Sulu Sea for livelihood. Millions of people depend on the Sulu Sea for food. The sea provides opportunities for all people," sabi pa ni Capellan. (Nickee Butlangan)

Sulu Gazette April 2008

The Sulu Gazette is the official newsletter of the Sulu Provincial Government.For inquiries about trade, investments and tourism, please e-mail us at mabuhay.mabuhay@gmail.com

The Sulu Gazette is published monthly and advertised on the Mindanao Examiner newspaper and its website http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/ and distributed in some areas in the Muslim autonomous region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao City, Cebu City and Manila.

Photos: Sulu Tourism Campaign Posters

Sulu province tourism campaign posters for April 2008. (Mindanao Examiner Productions)

Photo: Wow Sulu 2008

A beach in Patikul town and the beautiful island of Panngutaran in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. The provincial governor, philanthropist Sakur Tan, says he is inviting Filipinos and foreign holidaymakers to visit Sulu and enjoy its rich culture and exotic culinary dishes as part of the Wow Sulu 2008 tourism program. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

Manila To Pursue Peace With Muslim Rebels

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 08, 2007) – Philippine Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro on Tuesday said the government is pursuing a peace deal with the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Peace talks with the MILF failed last month after government and rebel peace negotiators disagreed over the issue of the Muslim ancestral domain.

“We are committed on the peace process and we hope the same is also with the MILF,” Teodoro told reporters in Sulu where he spoke to students at the 1st Youth Leadership Program organized by Gov. Sakur Tan.

Last week, Murad Ebrahim, the leader of the MILF, appealed for patience over the failure of peace talks. ”The road to freedom is always full of twist and turn and to overcome, we must work, persist, and sacrifice,” Ebrahim said.

The Philippine panel agreed late last year on the scope of the Muslim ancestral domain, but later reneged on the accord that will constitute a separate homeland for more than 4 million Muslims and indigenous tribes in Mindanao.

The MILF is fighting for a separate Muslim homeland in the strife-torn, but mineral-rich region of Mindanao. It accused the government of reneging to its commitment after peace talks in December failed in Malaysia, which is brokering the negotiations.

Many rebel commanders are getting frustrated and restless over the failure of the seven-year old peace talks with the Arroyo government.

Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said the government must honor its commitment and previous agreement so the talks could resume. Iqbal said the MILF wanted a peace deal with Manila, but his group is also consistent with their demand for a Muslim homeland.

The MILF said government negotiators headed by Rodolfo Garcia completely disregarded the agreement on the ancestral domain and insisted again that the granting of homeland to Muslims in Mindanao would solely be through Constitutional process which the rebel group previously opposed.

The Philippine charter prohibits the dismembering of the country. The ancestral domain which covers the whole of Muslim autonomous region and other areas in Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani provinces where there are large communities of Muslims and indigenous tribes. And even Palawan Island in central Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.

President Arroyo has opened up peace talks with the MILF in 2001, but since then no substantial agreements have been signed between the two sides, expect for the cease-fire accord.

The MILF earlier warned that hostilities may erupt in Mindanao if the peace talks fail.

Teodoro said the problems of the MILF can only be solved by amending the Constitution. “Changing the Constitution is an affective tool to allow different communities to make their own decisions. There is nothing wrong that and the problem here is that we are afraid of change,” he said.

While in Sulu, Teodoro and Tan held a separate dialogue with more than 100 students and scholars and dozens of Muslim preachers.

Teodoro said the government is supporting peace and development program in Sulu. “We are here to help everybody and bring peace and development to Sulu,” he said.

They also visited patients at the Sulu Provincial Hospital where they briefly spoke with nursing students and medical staff headed by Dr. Farah Omar before proceeding to a short meeting with military officials.

The peace and order is improving a lot in Sulu because of the cooperation of the public and we are now embarking on a new tourism and investment programs will attract visitors and traders as well,” Tan said.

Tan was referring to the “Visit Sulu 2008” and “Wow Sulu” tourism program which aimed to promote the many beautiful islands and pristine beaches here and its culinary cuisine similar with the spicy Indonesian and Malaysian foods famous in the southern Philippines.

Tedoro said the government is supporting the local tourism project by promoting Sulu as a new holiday destination in the south. (With reports from Ely Dumaboc and Nickee Butlangan)

Turismo Ng Sulu, Isinusulong!

SULU (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 06, 2008) – Sisimulan na umano ng Sulu ang promosyon nito sa turismo upang maisulong ang programang “Visit Sulu 2008”.

Layunin umano ng pamahalaang panlalawigan na ipakita ang magagandang tanawin sa Sulu at ibat-ibang kinaugalian.

Bukod sa mga magagandang tanawin ay ipinagmamalaki rin ng mga Tausug ang masasarap nitong mga pagkain at kakanin na talagang kilala sa katimugan dahil sa likas na pagka-maanghang ng bawat lutuin.

“We would like to invite everybody to come and visit Sulu and enjoy our traditional hospitality, nice places and good food, aside from our wealth of cultural heritage,” ani pa ni Gov. Sakur Tan sa pahayagang Mindanao Examiner.

Sinabi nitong bahagi ng programang “Wow Sulu” ang “Visit Sulu 2008”. “Maganda talaga an gaming lalawigan kung kaya’t nais naming na i-promote ang Sulu bilang isa sa mga lugar na likas ang yaman sa kagandahan.

Maging ang militar ay abala na rin sa pagsuporta sa turismo ng Sulu at katunayan ay may inilunsad itong eco-tourism program sa lalawigan at ang Mt. Daho ang isa sa mga bundok na talagang inalagaan ng husto ng mga sundalo.

Pinagbawal na rin doon ang pagputol ng kahoy at isang mountain trek ang itinayo na kung saan ay makikita ang ibat-ibang bayan mula sa pinakamataas na bahagi nito.

“That’s true and we hope this eco-tourism campaign will attract tourists, both local and foreigners, and also mountain trekkers,” wika naman ni Brig. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan ng Philippine Army.

Sinabi pa ni Tan na dalawang airliners – ang Asian Spirit at Sea Air – ang siyang bumibiyahe araw-araw sa Sulu mula Zamboanga, bukod pa ang maraming mga ferries.

Mayaman sa mga prutas ang Sulu at natural resources, partikular ang mga marine products na tinatangkilik ng husto sa ibat-ibang bansa, tulad ng Hong Kong at Japan. (May ulat ni Nickee Butlangan at Ely Dumaboc)