COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Bangsamoro government and the central offices of the Maritime Industry Authority and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will cooperate in ensuring smooth operation of marine and land transportation in the autonomous region.
Regional officials said Thursday that while the functions and powers of the Marina and the LTFRB had been fully devolved to the Bangsamoro region, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications shall keep its links with national officials of the two agencies.
This is to ensure a smooth enforcement of the regulatory functions of both agencies in all cities and provinces of BARMM.
The MOTC and regional and national officials of Marina together established in June the sea route connecting Cotabato City, via the Polloc Port in Maguindanao del Norte, to Lamitan City in Basilan.
“That was a product of our cooperation. The devolution of the functions of Marina to BARMM does not imply we have cut our connectivity with its central office,” Tago said.
Tago, Marina Administrator Hernani Fabia and LTFRB’s chairman, Teofilo Guadiz III held separate meetings this week in Metro Manila where they reportedly reassured each other to sustain the linkages between their respective offices.
Tago was accompanied in his meetings with Fabia and Guadiz by the Bangsamoro Marina Director Abubakar Katambak and his subordinate-division chiefs Alonto Sahiron and Albaya Pascua, and the MOTC’s director-general, Roselainie Maniri.
Katambak, a practicing lawyer, told reporters Thursday they have a plan to study the viability of opening other sea routes that would connect Cotabato City to Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and other Mindanao provinces.