Bongao is first ARMM town to put up CCTV network

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The capital town of Tawi-Tawi has put up a network of security cameras, making it the first municipality in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to use closed-circuit surveillance technology.

Bongao Mayor Jasper Que said the security cameras run on solar energy generated by large outdoor panels and stored in large batteries to provide uninterrupted electricity for 24 hours.

He said the local government decided to put up the surveillance cameras in selected spots, using the 20-percent development appropriation from the municipal budget, in response to encouragement by ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman for the town to put up projects to improve the business climate there.

Que said he is aware of Hataman’s connections with the business communities abroad as shown by the recent influx of investors the regional governor invited to participate in agricultural ventures in Maguindanao and in Lanao del Sur.

“With the help of the ARMM government, Bongao would soon become a good destination for foreign investors,” Que said.

The regional government has funded dozens of projects in the municipality, among them the construction of farm-to-market roads, the improvement of its centuries-old "Chinese pier" and the development of  Bongao Peak as a tourist attraction.

“[W]e expect improvements in the investment atmosphere of Bongao. We need to beef up security not just for local residents, but for prospective investors from nearby provinces and from abroad as well,” Que said.

The security cameras are operated from a central monitoring base, which operates around the clock and has direct access to the police and the military.