The United States government supports the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government’s of a roll-on, roll-off (RORO) shipping service seen to boost local trade and investment in the region by linking Polloc Port in Parang, Maguindanao to Lamitan, Basilan.
A sustainable partnership comes to BARMM through the Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (RESPOND) project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) being implemented by the University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, represented at the launch by Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua, expressed his full support to the initiative which he described as “a manifestation that the peace accord is succeeding.”
The USAID will particularly provide support in the development of the BARMM RORO shipping services by training BARMM officials and staff on infrastructure development and facilitating a series of multi-stakeholder workshops that enables private sector support maritime connectivity in the region from the launch of the project on April 25.
The partnership between the BARMM Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the USAID foresights ferry-link services that will cut travel time between Cotabato and Zamboanga by at least six hours and reduce transportation costs by as much as 30 percent.
BARMM Transportation Minister Paisalin Tago said this first leg of the maritime connectivity network will pave the way for more commercial routes, including in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and possibly extend beyond the Philippines’ borders. An international shipping company is also exploring the inclusion of Polloc Port in an existing ASEAN RORO network that includes Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
MinDA Chair Secretary Maria Belen Acosta noted that the partnership will reinforce the position of BARMM as an international gateway that will increase trade activities in transport, business, telecoms, and tourism.
In a recorded message at the launch held at the Polloc Freeport and Economic Zone, Director Ryan Washburn of the USAID Philippines Mission said: “Strengthening maritime trade routes and intermodal transport systems will open doors for more trade and investment in the region, including in the tourism industry,”
“Additionally, this route will bring down transport cost of businesses by as much as 20 to 30 percent and reduce wastage of agricultural products that are inevitable if transported by land due to poor road conditions and connectivity.”
After the launch, MoTC presented the highlights of the BARMM Transport Logistics roadmap to high-level officials and private companies, which included an indicative list of priority projects covering maritime connectivity, local roads, information and communications technology, riverine transport systems, air and seaport development, and agro-industrial hubs.