By Mark Navales
Correspondent

COTABATO CITY

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOTC-BARMM) has favorably acted on the proposal of the Municipality of Datu Blah Sinsuat (DBS) in the Province of Maguindanao to put up seaports and communications facility.

MOTC Minister Dickson P. Hermoso accompanied by different heads of agencies under his ministry visited DBS recently where they were warmly welcomed by Mayor Datu Marshal Sinsuat and Vice Mayor Bai Raida Tomawis-Sinsuat who is also the mayor’s wife.

Minister Hermoso a retired general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was very much involved in finding the elusive peace between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Prior to joining the Bangsamoro Government as Transportation and Communications Minister, Hermoso was the Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

During the ocular inspection of the coastal municipality of DBS, Minister Hermoso and the different heads of MOTC agencies were toured by Mayor Sinsuat around the shoreline of the municipality in order to determine the strategic location where the municipal seaports can be established as an additional infrastructure to the Bangsamoro region.  

After conducting the ocular inspection, Hermoso said, “I can foresee when the DBS Seaport is established there is a potential of turning it into an economic hub just like other ports of BARMM like the Polloc Port in Parang, Maguindanao.”

Hermoso added that the establishment of several seaports and communications facilities in the BARMM is one of the mandates of MOTC that he is heading right now in order to boost livelihood for the Bangsamoro people and to add to the economic activities of the region.

Mayor Sinsuat emphasized that the establishment of the future DBS Seaports and Communications Facilities can be the region’s economic connectivity to the rest of the provinces in Mindanao and the whole Philippines as a whole, while at the same time boosting the economic activity with the BMIP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines- East ASEAN Growth Area).

Minister Hermoso added to give an opportunity for the heads of the different agencies under the MOTC to personally witness the economic potential of DBS, he tagged along with him the following agency officials: General Manager Garib Abas of the Bangsamoro Regional Ports Management Authority (BRPMA); Director Sajiron Alonto of the Bangsamoro Maritime Industry Authority (BMARINA); Director Hamid Bayao of the Bangsamoro Telecommunication Commission (BTC); Chief Regulation Officer Anwar Upahm of the Bangsamoro Land Transportation Office (BLTO) and other MOTC staffs.

Finally, Minister Hermoso reiterated the MOTC’s direction during the political transition by laying down its commitment to enable the safe, orderly, timely, economical movement of people and goods, as well as the dessimination of information.

Likewise, the MOTC is mandated to have the power to grant the regional franchises, licenses, and permits to operate and exercise quasi-judicial powers over land, sea transportation plying the routes within the Bangsamoro Automous Region in Muslim Mindanao. MARK NAVALES