‘Rousing’ reception for Malaysian visitors on board first flight of Philippine Airlines
KOTA KINABALU: Local government officials from Tawi-Tawi province will be joining their Zamboanga counterparts in welcoming the Malaysian visitors on board the first flight of Philippine Airlines (PAL) thrice weekly Kota Kinabalu-Zamboanga direct flight on March 31 in Zamboanga City.
Disclosing this yesterday, Turtle Islands Mayor Faizal Jamalul said the officials would be spearheaded by Governor Yshmael Sali and accompanied by several municipal mayors, and elected assemblymen including traders/businessmen.
“We will be joining the city officials led by Mayor Ma Isabelle Climaco-Salazar in the welcoming ceremony at the Zamboanga International Airport ... the 86-seater aircraft that will be plying the route every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday is expected to touch down at the airport at 12.30pm,” he said.
During the 4-day stay in the city, Faizal said the Tawi-Tawi group would make themselves available to interact with the visitors for possible business ventures between Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, and Sabah.
Faizal, who is also a BIMPEAGA senior official representing his country, described the new air connectivity as a right step towards bringing all its membercountries closer in terms of easy movement of people and cargoes and levelling up economic activities in the region.
He also assured that Tawi-Tawi would give its fullest support to ensure that the Kota Kinabalu-Zamboanga direct flight achieves its forecast goals and objectives.
“I am encouraging members of the ZamBaSulTa Traders Association to make full use of the new air connectivity by rallying behind PAL’s initiative,” said Faizal, who is also the association’s president.
Considered as the most peaceful province under the newly established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( BARMM), he said Tawi-Tawi has many things to offer to Malaysians and other investors.
“Our province is blessed and rich with natural resources... we have beautiful untapped beaches, abundance of agricultural and fishery products, vast fertile lands, ample of spaces for industrial development projects, cheap labour, strategically located near to Sabah, and hospital, friendly, and Godfearing people,” he stressed.
For Zamboanga, Faizal said the city is an ideal place for Malaysians, particularly Sabah for business expansions, ample potential for tourism related projects, fertile agricultural lands for palm oil and rubber plantation, ideal for industrial and manufacturing business ventures, and the city is the centre of economic activities in southern Mindanao amongst others.
He said: “Zamboanga City is a peaceful place likewise for Tawi-Tawi. Tawitawians and the Zamboanguenos have a long history of trading activities with Malaysia particularly Sabah.”