Tawi-Tawi leaders bullish on US Navy’s bridge plan

COTABATO CITY — Religious and political leaders in Tawi-Tawi are certain that the plan of the US Navy Seabees to construct a bridge linking Bongao Island to the mainland will improve the business climate in the province, regarded as the country’s "southern front door."

"It will surely complement the Southern Mindanao peace process which is focused on socio-economic reforms in poor Muslim areas," said Ismael Abubakar Jr., an assemblyman representing Tawi-Tawi in the 24-seat Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Admiral Charles Kubic, of the US Navy Seabees, assured ARMM Gov. Parouk Hussin in a dialogue last Tuesday of his unit’s support in helping the autonomous government, through the Philippine Navy Seabees, build a bridge linking Bongao Island to mainland Tawi-Tawi in the next 12 months.

Bongao is the capital town of Tawi-Tawi, which is comprised of 10 towns, some of them situated near the Philippine-Malaysian border.

Hussin said he is convinced that President Arroyo’s recent pullout of Filipino troops from Iraq, prompted by the captivity by Iraqi militants of overseas worker Angelo de la Cruz, will not affect the joint socio-economic programs of Malacañang and the US government in poor areas in the ARMM.

"After all, the action was based on the interest of our national security," he said.