COTABATO CITY โ Business leaders and regional officials are increasingly pointing to Tawi-Tawi as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanaoโs (BARMM) โnew investment frontier,โ citing sustained peace, political stability, and its strategic proximity to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Tawi-Tawi, an island province composed of 11 municipalities, lies at the southernmost edge of the Philippines and is the farthest BARMM province from Cotabato City, the regional capital. Despite its geographic distance, it has drawn growing attention during regional trade and commerce forums.
Ronald Hallid Torres, chairperson of the Bangsamoro Business Council (BBC), said the group is backing efforts by Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali and Bangsamoro Parliament member Jet Lim to strengthen the provinceโs investment climate.
โThese efforts involve coordinated interventions with BARMM agencies to improve infrastructure, security, and investor confidence,โ Torres told reporters on Sunday.
Security data from the Police Regional OfficeโBARMM and the Western Mindanao Command show that several municipalities in Tawi-Tawi have recorded no heinous crimes since 2019. BARMM replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2019 following decades of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Lim, spokesperson of the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament, said local entrepreneurs maintain strong ties with business networks in Malaysia and other parts of Mindanaoโconnections he said could help attract capital-intensive investments in trade, agriculture, and fisheries.
โWe donโt struggle to build a positive image of Tawi-Tawi because it is peaceful and free from deep political rivalries,โ Torres said. He also heads the Regional Advisory Group of the BARMM police.
Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao and Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay separately said they are encouraging traders in their citiesโboth considered growing commercial centersโto explore expansion opportunities in Tawi-Tawi.
Beyond trade, Tawi-Tawi takes pride for its pristine beaches, particularly in Bongao and nearby island towns. Lim, who also sits on the Bangsamoro Economic Development Council chaired by Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua, said tourism remains a key growth area.
Taganak Island, the municipality closest to Sabah, Malaysia, is the home of โTurtle Islandโ due to its sea turtle nesting sites. Local merchants there often source goods from Malaysia, which is geographically closer than major trading hubs in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Mapun town, another island municipality, now hosts hundreds of hectares of coconut plantations protected by local leaders, according to BARMMโs trade and agriculture offices and the Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BOI).
BOI chairperson Mohammad Pasigan said Tawi-Tawi has generated more than P8 billion in new investments over the past five years, a figure also confirmed by Macacua.
โThe BOI is working closely with parliament members and provincial officials to accelerate Tawi-Tawiโs socio-economic growth,โ Pasigan said.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez has committed to upgrading Mapunโs airstrip and building a community seaport in Barangay Jakarta, Languyan town, by 2026โprojects Lim said would further boost the provinceโs investment prospects.
โThese infrastructure projects will be critical in unlocking Tawi-Tawiโs economic potential,โ Lim said.
PHOTO: Bangsamoro regional officials, including lawyer Jet Lim of the 80-seat parliament, are working together to tap into Tawi-Tawiโs investment opportunities. (John Unson)
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