President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his message during the “Panabang si Kasanyangan” on March 2, 2024 in Sumisip, Basilan. (Benyamen Cabuntalan/BIO)
ISABELA CITY—President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday, March 2, that Basilan plays a vital role in combating hunger.
He made this statement while addressing the local government of Basilan and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) officials at a symbolic ceremony of bulldozing 400 illegal firearms surrendered by former rebels through current peace efforts in Sumisip town, Basilan.
During the “Panabang si Kasanyangan” or peace offering ceremony in Mahatallang village, which was occupied by ASG for almost two decades, President Marcos emphasized that despite the dawn of peace in the region, there is still work to be done. Various stakeholders must continue seizing the momentum to attain long-lasting peace.
“Basilan’s new role is now the war against hunger. You have a land area twice the size of Singapore, blessed with a rich soil, above-all more or less typhoon-free, which makes you an ideal bulwark in our fight for food security,” President Marcos said.
The President stressed that peace must be woven into the fabric of social life. In Basilan’s case, harnessing its potentials—a land blessed with resources and a people rich in talent—is the key to enduring peace based on common progress and shared prosperity.
“Ang kailangan lang ay tulungan ang Basilan para maging isang lubos na food and fisheries production center. Kasama niyo ang pambansang pamahalaan sa bagong hamon na hinaharap ninyo na ito,” he added.
[All that is needed is to help Basilan become a complete food and fisheries production center. The national government is with you in this new challenge you are facing.]
According to the President, when Basilan’s agro-fisheries potentials are unlocked, the entire country benefits. This will put the province at the forefront of the administration’s national goals.
Copra, rubber, and fish products are the province’s banner products, which serve as the farmers’ main source of income.
Recently, the Bangsamoro Government’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) and the Basilan Provincial government signed a deal worth P195-million investment under the Special Development Fund (SDF) to support and enhance rubber industry production on the island.
Additionally, the Ministry of Human Settlement and Development (MHSD) broke ground on February 15 for the construction of a 225-unit housing project worth Php 135 million for the Mujahideen and widows of Muhammad Ajul town.
President Marcos assured the government and people of Basilan that they will play their role as partners in Basilan’s “great leap forward”.
During the event, the President led the distribution of eight motorcycles donated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to former rebels to support their livelihoods.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and provincial governors such as Yshmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi, Jim Salliman-Hataman of Basilan, Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, and Abdulraof Macacua of Maguindanao del Norte also witnessed the symbolic destruction of firearms.
The said activities were part of the week-long celebration of the province’s 50th founding anniversary. (Majid Nur/BIO with reports from PND)
