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An
open letter on the Provincial Government of Sulu’s efforts
toward development and investment promotion
By:
GOV. ABDUSAKUR M. TAN
05
June 2009
HON.
LORETO LEO S. OCAMPOS
Governor, Misamis Occidental
National President
League of Provinces of the Philippines
Dear Governor Ocampos,
Greetings
from Sulu!
In the face of the many adverse publicity which place Sulu
in a disadvantaged position in terms of development and the
efforts to lure investments to the province, still we are
not stymied as to allow our efforts for the betterment of
this beautiful island province to be continuously held hostage
by the acts of a very few, whose evil intentions are at the
expense of the greater interests of the vast majority of the
Tausug.
May I be privileged to be allowed to update my colleagues
in the LPP on the better aspect of the province that are elbowed
out of the lenses of cameras and prints of the media. As fellow
provincial governors in the LPP, I’m sure that you,
too, are confronted with unique situations that are endemic
to your areas of responsibility, and that these have to be
considered before judgment is passed to rate our performances.
ON
GOVERNANCE
Sulu,
which had gone through many phases in its existence, punctuated
by conflicts and war, inherited a situation which not only
shaped its landscape but imbedded in the mindset of the people
the fear and anxiety of going through the cycle of violence
and insecurities over and over again.
Many initiatives had been taken, resources spent and efforts
exerted to plant the peace that seems to flutter farther and
farther away by the multi-directional winds of change coming
from forces at play to make Sulu a theatre for selfish and
opportunistic ends.
Heeding history and egged on by a more pragmatic and realistic
approach to effect the changes we seek for Sulu, from day
one of my present mandate, I espoused the Sulu concept of
participatory governance and shift from the government towards
one of with the government, the responsibilities and tasks
of nation-building. This not a novel concept, nor is it a
genius. It has been tried and still being encouraged and promoted
elsewhere in the republic.
But in the Sulu setting and borne by the fact that the Tausug
are leader-centered, it will render more meaning and essence
if the effort to bring into practical existence such a concept,
the perceived Tawmaas (elder or leader in the vernacular)
must take the initiative and that he must show honest intention
to relinquish such an “anointed power” to his
“subjects” as in the olden days, and which even
now resides in the Tausug psyche and traditions. My people
have a lingering romance with history; not out of vanity or
pride but as a remaining semblance of their dignity as a people.
TAKING
THE FIRST FEW STEPS TOWARDS A LONG JOURNEY
As
part of putting the concept in practical applications, perhaps
I can make a humble claim that we have the most active Area
Coordination Center which encapsulates the dynamics of effective
government services. I have signed Executive Order No. 05,
Series of 2008, redefining the composition and functions of
the ACC pursuant to and implement more effectively Executive
Order No. 21, Series 2001 of Her Excellency President Gloria
M Arroyo.
From just the executives and staff of the Provincial Capitol,
I made it more comprehensive by inviting members of CSOs,
NGOs, PNP, AFP, the Religious Corps, the IPHO and other health
agencies, DSWD, and other stakeholders to participate and
deliberate on efforts to bring to fore the pressing needs
and the corresponding immediate solutions of problems and
situations that may arise.
Through the ACC, I have initiated the formation of various
Provincial Task Force(s) to respond to events that are of
utmost concerns, like the Task Force Melamine, Task Force
Halau (for Filipino deportees from neighboring Sabah, Malaysia);
and in non-emergency aspect we have formed Task Force Halal
for the promotion of the Halal Industry both as an economic
venture and a religious obligation, and Task Force Kahawa
Sug (Sulu Coffee), to promote the development of coffee industry
in Sulu.
On matters of natural calamities, the Sulu Area Coordination
Center functions as deputized coordinating office of the National
Disaster Coordination Council. In the recent wave surges which
hit the coastlines of Sulu, Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro
of National Defense and Chairman of the NDCC was at the scene
to personally supervise assistance efforts for the victims.
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| With
Sec. Teodoro at the scene. |
During
police and military operations against terror groups and kidnappers,
the movements of our IDPs to safer grounds entail huge logistical
requirements, but notwithstanding there have been no reported
incident of any of our displaced constituents left to fend
for themselves.
On matters of livelihood and poverty alleviation efforts,
I have empowered the Provincial Cooperative Office to impart
to duly registered cooperatives in the province the proper
methods of running their movements so as to free them from
the practices of the past when they only serve as conduits
for funds for dubious purposes. In addition, I have injected
monthly allocations to the Provincial Cooperative Union as
funds for the cooperative members of the union as start-up
capital or additional funds for their ventures.
In furtherance of our support to the national government in
the peace agreement signed with the MNLF, we exerted extraordinary
efforts to convince our MNLF brothers to avail of livelihood
programs by organizing cooperatives among their members that
they may form model communities of their own which will serve
as buffer and deterrent to rogue elements within their ranks
and other “lost command groups”.
While we have successfully put in place the legal mechanics
of poverty alleviation efforts, still our ultimate goal is
for self-reliance that our people may free themselves from
the usual condescending attitude of forever relying on the
National Government. This end could be met if we can instill
in them the basic tools to attain self-efficiency and ability
to harness the rich marine and agricultural resources of the
province not to mention the vast potential of the province
for tourism development.
ON
BRINGING GOVERNMENT SERVICES CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE
Governance
must be visibly seen to have been done and should not only
reside in rhetorics and political semantics. Aware of my people’s
sentiments, based on past experiences, of the government’s
indifference to their plight and needs, I initiated moves
to give true semblance of governance in action.
Before my present term, my constituents were required to travel
to Zamboanga City to sit for Licensure Examinations for Teachers
(LET), Nursing Licensure Examinations (NLE), NAPOLCOM Entrance
Examinations, and for their Passport applications.
Aware of the inconvenience and costs to would-be examinees
and applicants in making trips to Zamboanga for such purposes,
I made representations to Her Excellency the President and
through her kind intercessions, the Professional Regulation
Commission agreed to hold such examinations twice a year.
To date we have had successful examinations held here for
LET, NLE and NAPOLCOM entrance examinations. In addition the
reviews for LET examinations and the oath-taking of successful
examinees were also held here in Sulu.
I could humbly state that I am the first Sulu Governor to
accord such services to our constituents.
 |
| Mobile
Passporting in full swing. |
We
have an annual Mobile Passport Services, in coordination with
the Department of Foreign Affairs, Zamboang City, to cater
to the needs of our constituents who are intending to embark
on a pilgrimage to Mecca and those who are seeking employment
abroad.
I have outstanding requests to government departments and
agencies which are frequented by our constituents to set up
their extension offices here, like the National Statistic
Office (NSO), the National Bureau of Investigations, the Commission
on Human Rights, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
and the Department of Foreign Affairs. I have committed technical
assistance and other logistical requirements for such intentions.
ON
HEALTH SERVICES
The
health services in Sulu are in a satisfactory level due to
the well equipped and well-staffed Integrated Provincial Health
Office. Our Municipal Health Offices and our Rural Health
Units are also active and deliver their services with utmost
efficiency. The Barangay Health Workers are exemplary in their
dedication to the communities within their area of responsibility.
We can claim with all humility that our Sangguniang Panlalawigan
had passed a Reproductive Health Ordinance without any hitches
or controversies like those that befell other provinces in
the republic, noting for a fact that the issue is quite sensitive.
ON
EDUCATION
The
problems that Sulu is encountering on matters of education
are the same as that of other provinces; lack of classrooms,
teaching aids and materials, and lack of job items for would-be
teachers, to name a few.
Since such problems are actually national in scope, we would
like to make representations to concerned departments and
agencies on the true and correct intentions of having an education.
I have said on many occasions that the real problems surface
after graduation when jobs are hard to come by and the competition
are so stiff.
Even now, both the private and government sectors cannot accommodate
the millions of graduates that schools and colleges churn
out annually.
There should be a noticeable shift from the customary curriculum
towards that of educational disciplines on practical entrepreneurial
knowledge and abilities so that graduates can embark on business
ventures or private enterprise and on their own generate jobs
for other people in their community and such ventures can
ignite trickling economic activities.
ON
PEACE AND SECURITY
 |
Briefing
Security Personnel. |
There
could never be one without the other. True peace is the appeasement
of the bleeding hearts of Sulu, which until now still grope
even just for an outline of a form to do justice to what they
perceived as wrongs done to them by circumstances and the
unkind turn of events. For them history seems to be redundant;
repetitious in its disfavoring turn.
To live by the past is not a path to a better future. On this
premise, I took the conviction of limiting within the provincial
periphery, situations that I know will be blown to proportions
other than what they are supposed to be. The latest case in
point is the ICRC hostage crisis.
Taking bitter lessons from such situations, notably the Sipadan
Hostage Crisis, I know from experience that when the dusts
have settled, the prime personalities who were involved in
the wheeling and dealings will leave the shores of Sulu in
a wisp and leave us alone to pick up the pieces.
For this reason I resisted all temptations and persuasions
to gain cheap media mileage to “internationalize”
and even nationalize the ICRC issue at the expense of perpetuating
such acts that are devoid of ideological or humane considerations.
Instead, with the support of Local Government Units, we have
mobilized local human and material resources to pressure the
perpetrators of such heinous crimes and terror groups and
tighten the noose on them aware that the greater majority
of peace-loving people in the province are with us.
The release of two hostages testified to the power of the
people and government units to effect the changes they sought
to have. This is the Kusug Tausug, or the Tausug Power that
I desire to see that will transform Sulu to a better province
and home to those who laid their roots here. Lest someone
will interpret Kusug Tausug as a movement, it is definitely
not!
It is the Tausug conscience slowly taking shape and form,
stirred into wakefulness by its own need.
The matter of security of Sulu is overstated and blown out
of proportion in the media creating wrong impressions among
TV and radio audiences who have no true grasp of the situation.
A mole-hill in other areas becomes a mountain in Sulu!
TELL-TALE
SIGNS OF BETTER THINGS AHEAD
In
Sulu, the concreting and gravelling of main roads crisscrossing
the entire breadth of the mainland are now at a passable level.
Roads which have been impassable for decades are now smooth
for the comfort of users. While we have still many proposed
road projects in the pipeline we are relentless in our efforts
to make representations to the national government for necessary
funding while at the same time embarking on our own initiatives
to secure the necessary logistics for farm to market roads
and other minor projects.
The completion of the expanded Jolo Airport which will become
operational anytime now, is a landmark achievement of my administration.
 |
| The
expanded runway where better things are expected to take
off. |
The
project would not have taken off if not for the intercession
of two World Leaders. On their meeting in Australia, then
US President George Bush and Her Excellency President Gloria-Macapagal
Arroyo agreed that the expansion of the Jolo Airport should
push through and the US Government committed $3 million as
assistance with counterpart from the Philippine Government
through the DOTC.
More than the project itself, is the sense of pride and self
-esteem of the Tausug that of the myriads of concerns, the
small province of Sulu caught the attention of the two leaders.
We are confident that the operation of the expanded airport
to service bigger airplanes than the 19-seaters that usually
serve the Jolo-Zambo and vice versa route, and will spur interaction
with the people from other areas in the country either for
business or pleasure.
The expansion of the main port of Jolo which is now at the
final planning stages, will complete the basic infrastructures
that will augur well for entrepreneurial and investment development
in the province.
In spite of our best intentions for our people, there are
still those who harbor ill-motive and envy for reasons known
only to themselves. The attempt on my life last 13 May 2009
was not only an attack on my person but also on the government
that I lead and the people that I vowed to serve.
But as any true-blooded Tausug, honed by the many tempests
that passed through this land of our birth and calloused by
many trials and tribulations laid on our shoulders, we will
stand to the challenge and will not be cowed nor hindered
in our confident march towards a better Sulu.
With
my esteem and best wishes, I remain
Most
sincerely,
(Sgd)
ABDUSAKUR M. TAN, Ph.D. (Hons)
Governor
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