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Tuesday, October 11, 2005
JAGS-CT triad opens trade, security link
GLAN, Sarangani -- Three southern Mindanao towns have initiated trade and security cooperation with neighboring Indonesian islands, officials said Monday.
"While everybody is looking north, towards Manila and other areas, we in JAGS-CT are looking south to develop our brotherhood, to develop trade," said Governor Miguel Dominguez.
JAGS-CT is a grouping of the municipalities of Jose Abad Santos (Davao del Sur), Glan (Sarangani), and the island-town of Sarangani (Davao del Sur).
"Now we are seeing the need to look further south for economic development by trading with Indonesia. We can start based on our own capabilities in leading the way and find our own solutions in trading using JAGS-CT," said Dominguez.
The governor mentioned the capability of JAGS-CT to provide "human resource capital for education and health care," and shipment of goods to the Sangil group of islands.
Sarangani municipality is three hours by boat to the nearest Indonesian islands.
Glan Mayor Enrique Yap Jr. said JAGS-CT's strategic location in the southernmost tip of Mindanao could "renew its age-old trade relation with Indonesia as a strategy to encourage cultural and economic activities."
JAGS-CT was organized in 2003 as a local initiative in support of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga) economic cooperation.
Presidential Assistant Jesus Dureza commended local officials during his visit Thursday for being "closer to the ground" in taking the lead for economic development in the country, particularly mainland Mindanao.
"We are modeling JAGS-CT by opening up for Bimp-Eaga but at the same time (securing) our borders against terrorists," said Dureza, who chairs the Mindanao Economic Development Council and Philippine senior official for Bimp-Eaga.
"The cooperation that we are doing now on the ground is an example of how we can work together to counter terrorism," Dureza said.
Dureza said terrorism is not just a problem in Indonesia or in Mindanao.
"It is an international problem. JAGS-CT will be a very good showcase of how we get people and the local governments to cooperate," Dureza added.
Dureza acknowledged the support of Indonesian Consul General Ikon Mochamad Entjeng who went to Glan on Tuesday for the JAGS-CT Indonesian friendship games.
"We came here not caring about winning in the games but rather of winning deeper relationship with you our Filipino brothers," the consul general said.
Last January, Mayors Yap, Jerry Cawa of Sarangani, and Alex Wangkay of Jose Abad Santos led a 13-man trade mission to Manado, Indonesia.
JAGS-CT targets Manado City as the main trading hub, Gorontalo Province as viable market for electronics, Bitung City for deep-sea fishing, and the regencies of Talaud and Sangir as markets for agri-fishery products.
JAGS CT, which has a secretariat office at Glan Municipal Hall, plans to put up a coordinating office in Manado, Indonesia. (Sarangani Information Office)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (October 11, 2005 issue)
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