Businessmen in Mindanao back cable project
- Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/business/2015/09/20/businessmen-mindanao-back-cable-project-431371
- Sunday, September 20, 2015
- By Ace June Rell S. Perez
MINDANAO's business community, during a recent gathering, approved a resolution supporting the immediate implementation of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) Submarine Terrestrial (Best) Cable System project, an official said.
Romeo M. Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) director of Investments Promotions and Public Affairs, told Sun.Star Davao that business leaders saw the potential of the cable system project as the gateway for better connectivity that will boost the Information and Communications and Technology (ICT) investments in the island.
"The business leaders passed a resolution supporting the speedy implementation of the Best Cable System project," he said, adding that it was one of the resolutions made during the 24th Mindanao Business Conference (Minbizcon) last September 2 to 4 at the ZN Convention Center, Dipolog City.
The project is expected to provide "cost-effective broadband Internet, promote better participation of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups in e-commerce and provide better accessibility and connectivity to areas that are still not into Information and Communications Technology (ICT) trends."
The Best Cable System, initiated by Best Cable Corp. Pte. Ltd. (BCC), "is a regional 5,092-kilometer high bandwidth fiber optics cable system that will link BIMP-Eaga region specifically Brunei, Sabah, Malaysia, Southern Philippines and Kalimantan in Indonesia, with extension to Guam that will connect with the US and the rest of Asean countries.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Philippine senior official for BIMP-Eaga Prudencio M. Reyes in an earlier report said that as most ICT and BPO companies are seated in the urban areas, the Best cable system will serve as one of the solutions to "leverage flow of inclusive and ‘beyond borders’ development in the ICT industry in the country."
Groundbreaking of the project is eyed on the first quarter of 2016.
The submarine cable system, with its head-end facility, will be installed in Parang, Maguindanao as the project's proponent in the Philippines, the EA Trilink Corp., acquired the franchise from Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
The cable system is expected to be operational in 2017.
Samuel Matunog, ICT-Davao president, said that BPO is an industry that is so sensitive to security and peace stability.
"The peace process will enable us to have a platform for us to discuss how we can make Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) to be the gateway for the rest of Mindanao and even the whole Philippines to enjoy faster and cost-effective broadband Internet," Matunog said earlier.
Meanwhile, business community, together with the development agencies, met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim at Camp Darapanan last week in a private meeting organized by World Bank and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) to signify its strong motive and willingness to pour investments to the Bangsamoro Region and provide employment and income opportunities for sustainable living.
It was also staged in a bid to encourage investments and help shape an enabling investment environment not only for the Bangsamoro, but for all the Filipinos.
Ebrahim assured the private sector that alongside the negotiations for the Bangsamoro Basic Law, they are working on normalizations on the ground to ensure that changes will be sustained.