DAVAO CITY โ In his capacity as a member of the Board of Directors, Chief Minister Ahod โAl Haj Muradโ Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) attended the 14th board meeting of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) held on Thursday, Feb. 23, at Acacia Hotel in this city.
The said meeting marked the MinDA boardโs inaugural organizational gathering during the Marcos administration. The Mindanao socioeconomic report, the Marcos administration’s 8-point economic agenda, Mindanao’s strategic priorities, and MinDA interregional plans, programs, and projects in Mindanao Island were among the agenda discussed during the board meeting.
During the deliberation on MinDAโs proposed interregional programs and projects, some concerns in the BARMM were cited, including the necessity to develop industries for coconut and rubber production for the island province of Basilan, upgrading of Polloc Seaport as an economic zone, and the connectivity issues in the regionโs island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BaSulTa).
CM Ebrahim pointed out that some of MinDAโs proposed programs and initiatives coincide with the development strategy for the BARMM. He further underscored that the BARMMโs programs and projects for 2023-2028 are encompassing all areas in the region.
Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, Director General of the Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), further elaborated the BARMMโs development initiatives currently being carried in the region. DG Ali mentioned that with the recent approval of the 2nd BDP by the Bangsamoro Parliament, programs and projects on connectivity such as the airports in the provinces of Basilan and Sulu are among the development priorities of the Bangsamoro government for the next six years.
โThe current airports and seaports in BARMM are limited in capacity, thus most products are brought to either Davao or Zamboanga City. These are the things that the Bangsamoro government is planning to address in the next six years during the transition, and hopefully even beyond the transition,โ he stressed.
DG Ali also shared that the initial opening of Cotabato to Tawi-Tawi flight route is a well-noted development for the region. To support the promotion of Tawi-Tawi, different BARMM ministries, offices, and agencies are conducting various activities in the said province.
Moreover, the potential of upgrading the Polloc port as an economic zone will eventually help the region in maximizing its operations and revenue. Currently, a feasibility study for the Php2.2 billion project to upgrade the Polloc Free Port is completed and the project is ready for implementation.
Water and electricity issues were also cited as a major concern in the island provinces, particularly in the remote islands of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu. In ensuring the provision of power supply, DG Ali stressed that there is a need to expedite the operationalization of the solar power plants in Sibutu and Sitangkay. The said project, if successful, will be replicated in other island provinces.
On the other hand, the Bangsamoro government also supports the existing program of the Basilan local government in establishing a manufacturing facility for producing rubber products.
Meanwhile, the MinDA Board of Directors consist of senators, congressmen, members of regional development councils including the BARMM Chief Minister, representatives from the private sector, a designated chief executive from Mindanao, the administrator of the Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA), and the Secretary of the National Commission of Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). (Mary Lovella Lao-Lastimosa with reports from Camelia N. DeVera-Dacanay)