by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan, Mar 1 (PIA) – High ranking officials of the military in Basilan underscores the importance of the completion of the rehabilitation and construction of the Basilan Circumferential Road (BCR) in the province.
104th Bde Commander Col. Ricardo Visaya said that “in order for economic development to take-off in this province is to secure first the most important road in the province—the circumferential road.”Speaking before the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), which convened last Monday, Col. Visaya said that the military is having a paradigm shift where “the civil military operation is raised to the same level as combat operations.”
He said that there will be some changes as far as military operation is concerned in Basilan.
The entire military institution is instituting the National Internal Peace and Security Plan dubbed as “Bayanihan”, which intensifies the conduct of civic action programs such as: information-education campaign, CIVAC, MEDCAP, feeding programs, multi-sectoral forum, facilitation of settlements of feuds, tree-planting and cleanliness drive, construction of school buildings, inter-faith activities, and establishing partnerships with various stakeholders, among others.
Visaya added that the military is providing a 24-hour security to the on-going rehab and construction of BCR, assuring that the public, most especially the business sector and the farmers can use the road safely.
He lauded the desire and effort of the local government unit to once and for all complete the BCR. In support to these development efforts, Col Visaya said that Peace and Development Teams (troops) were deployed in strategic areas of Basilan.
Special Operations Task Force (SOTF)-Basilan Commander Col. Ramon C Yugyog said that the BCR has long been overdue. He said that “it has been twelve years since he was in Basilan, hindi pa rin nakukumpleto.”Members of the PPOC lauded the efforts of the military towards winning the peace in Basilan, and expressed full backing on the paradigm shift in military operations.
Civil Society representative Louie Alano welcomed the paradigm shift but appealed to the military to intensify its information campaign on IPSP Bayanihan, most especially to local government units so that there is a “meeting of minds” for the program to be successful.Presiding officer Vice Gov. Al-Rasheed Sakkalahul stressed the crucial role of the civilians and the LGUs on the efforts of the military. “Kahit gaano pa karami ang military at police sa Basilan, kung walang suporta galing sa mga civilian at LGU, walang mangyayari.”
The Basilan Circumferential Road is part of the Saudi-funded development programs in Mindanao. These include the Cotabato City East Diversion Road and the Lake Lanao Circumferential Road.
The Saudi Fund for Development extended the loan to the Philippine government for this project in October 2005 for 75 Million Saudi Rials ($ 20 million or P1.078 billion) with a government counterpart funding of P1.118 billion. The BCR gets a share of some P600-million.Vice Gov. Sakkalahul announced that the P600-million Saudi Funds for BCR has a new contractor. (PIA9-ZBST)