ARMM gov’t throws lifesaver at boatbuilding industry in Tawi-Tawi

Boats made by local craftsmen play an important role in the daily lives of residents of the island-province of Tawi-Tawi. The ARMM government has started attracting investments to give the boatbuilding industry a shot in the arm. —PHOTOS BY JEOFFREY MAITEM AND BOBBY TIMONERA/CONTRIBUTOR

COTABATO CITY—For their skills and reputation as boat makers, artisans in Tawi-Tawi province were commissioned in 2013 to help repair the Masawa hong Butuan, a replica of the ancient sea vessel balanghai.

The boatbuilders of Tawi-Tawi do not only make sturdy wooden boats that can withstand waves on the high seas between Mindanao, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Some of them actually live on boathouses with their families.

But even with the talent and hard work of local workers, the boat building industry in Tawi-Tawi has not progressed much. Local builders still use antiquated equipment to craft the boats that locals use to feed and house their families.

But the Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has thrown a lifesaver to save a traditional industry. It said it would develop Tawi-Tawi boatbuilding and include it on the regional Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) for 2017 to 2019.

The ARMM IPP enumerates the economic activities that the regional government would provide with incentives to meet regional development goals, according to Ishak Mastura, chair and managing head of RBOI-ARMM.

Boats made by local craftsmen play an important role in the daily lives of residents of the island-province of Tawi-Tawi. The ARMM government has started attracting investments to give the boatbuilding industry a shot in the arm. —PHOTOS BY JEOFFREY MAITEM AND BOBBY TIMONERA/CONTRIBUTOR

Mastura said consultations were conducted in drafting the IPP. Recently, the regional government met with boatbuilders and local officials in the Tawi-Tawi capital of Bongao to discuss the industry’s future.

“Shipbuilding was also recommended on the IPP list due to the presence of skilled craftsmen who do custom-ordered wooden ships,” Mastura said.

He added that developing the industry also needed investments in power.

He said a stable supply of electricity must be in place on the island-province so Tawi-Tawi boatbuilders could use modern equipment.

Mastura said the regional government has been promoting investments on energy projects.

Tawi-Tawi is being serviced by the Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative, which operates an off-grid diesel power plant.

The island’s power demand is about 10 megawatts, but only about 60 percent of this is being supplied. Electricity is only available in the province for 16 hours, mainly in Bongao, where most economic activities are concentrated.