Investors Flock to Lamitan City as Development Follows Conflict Resolution

COTABATO CITY [July 15, 2023] – The Bangsamoro region is expecting a surge in investor interest in Lamitan City, previously plagued by underdevelopment due to secessionist conflicts spanning decades, begins to bounce back.

Ronald Hallid Dimacisil Torres, Chairman of the Bangsamoro Business Council, stated on Saturday that they are eager to assist residents of Lamitan City in unlocking the investment potential of its 45 barangays.

The city is now connected to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) capital through a newly-established shipping route, a long-awaited development by traders and political leaders.

Lamitan City, located in Basilan, a component province of BARMM, is in close proximity to Isabela City, one of the two cities on the island province, which also comprises 11 towns.

Torres, along with Omar Pasigan, Chairman of the Bangsamoro Regional Board of Investments, separately informed reporters on Saturday that Lamitan City’s improved investment climate was the result of collaborative initiatives between Mayor Roderick Furigay and two BARMM officials, Naguib Sinarimbo and Eduard Uy Guerra, serving as regional ministers of local government and public works, respectively.

Lawyer-entrepreneur Torres emphasized the significance of the newly-established sea route connecting the Polloc Port in nearby Parang town in Maguindanao del Norte and the Lamitan City harbor.

He referred to it as a “magnet” capable of attracting investors to Basilan, assuring them of the area’s safety for capital-intensive agricultural and fishing ventures in Lamitan City, Isabela City, and surrounding municipalities.

“Our traders in BARMM have confidence in the capabilities and efficiency of the Lamitan City local government unit, which covers 45 barangays, as evidenced by the five Seal of Good Local Governance awards it has received from the central office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the past six years.

This makes it easier for us to entice external counterparts to invest there,” explained Torres.

Pasigan added that the joint peace and security programs implemented by the Lamitan City local government and the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government-BARMM complement the city’s recovery from the detrimental effects of domestic security concerns that plagued the area from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, Commander of the Western Mindanao Command, disclosed that over 300 members of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan have surrendered in stages since 2013, thanks to a local reconciliation program spearheaded by Basilan Governor Jim Salliman, the Army’s 103rd Brigade, and the Basilan Provincial Police Office.

Galido emphasized the vital role played by the provincial government of Basilan in promoting Lamitan City and other areas in Basilan as the new investment hub within BARMM.

About Author