Army, police helping boost Basilan’s investment climate

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Security in Lamitan City has markedly been tight during nighttime since early this week, meant to sustain the improving investment climate in its 45 barangays and other parts of Basilan province.  

Army Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade, told reporters on Saturday that the security measure is a joint initiative of their units, the Lamitan City government, the office of the Gov. Hadjiman Salliman and the Basilan Provincial Police Office under Col. Carlos Madronio.

Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay, who is presiding chairperson of their multi-sector City Peace and Order Council, and Salliman separately said on Saturday that they are thankful to Luzon and Madronio for helping sustain the improving business climate in the city and nearby towns in the province.

Basilan, also covering Isabela City, is now touted as the Bangsamoro region’s “new investment hub” owing to the peace now spreading around the province, together being maintained by local sectors, among them almost 500 former members of the Abu Sayyaf who had surrendered in batches since 2016, now thriving peacefully as fishermen and farmers in their respective barangays.

“Soldiers in Lamitan City, a vital center of commerce and trade in Basilan, are working closely with barangay officials in ensuring the safety of its residents, particularly during the night,” Luzon said.

Mohammad Pasigan, chairman of the Bangsamoro Board of Investments, and officials of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism said on Saturday that they are to help Furigay and Salliman entice investors from outside of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to venture into viable agricultural and fishery projects in Lamitan City.

“We’ve seen how peace and order in Lamitan City has improved via multi-sector cooperation in recent years. It is not difficult to show to investors it is safe now to put up income-generating projects there,” Pasigan said.