From well-oiled automatic rifles and smoke grenades, the Tausogs in Luuk, Sulu are now arming themselves for a different kind of war – a battle for full stomach and patience – to win over the scourge of poverty where it breeds terrorism.
Security officials in the country has been alarmed by the reality of food shortage that triggered riots erupting worldwide and is now gauging the security implications of the crucial rice and food situation in the country.
The Tausogs in this island of more than half a million Muslims are armed not with weapons, but farm implements battling to save themselves from the looming food crisis the country is facing.
Luuk, which literally means, ”low elevation”, was established in 1918 when Maas Kamlon, a very famous Tausog warrior fought against the government. The province is among the poorest provinces in the country and registered with the lowest human development index. It lagged behind in terms of economic development and the people here lived in a lonely island of poverty but ironically in the midst of a vast ocean of natural resources.
Agricultural Revolution
The Tausugs are now in the midst of what they call an agricultural revolution and are planting hundred of hectares of farms with cassava, corn and vegetable.
People here are now conscious enough and know very well the consequences, that if eventually supplies of imported of rice will decrease and will come in trickles, they can always eat cassava as an alternative.
Because they consider cassava as their staple instead of rice, the farmers are able to slowly cushion the impact of the soaring rice prices.
The local government led by Mayor Abdurahman Arbison, together with his Father and the entire government, rallied the people to engage in livelihood projects by tilling their lands and planting them with cassava and other crops, Arbison said that in the advent of a global rice shortage, people in Sulu need not to worry anymore, as they can always go back to their staple which is cassava and since they have an abundance of it ; they can even export it if needed.
Aside from planting essentials, fisher folks at its coastal area here are also concentrating on lobsters (tiger) and groupers (lapu-lapu) culture at sea.
The only fishpond in Sulu is found in this coastal town; and employs people from
Ilongo’s are known in the Visayas to be industrious and are experts in cultivating fresh water seafoods to include tilapia and sugpo(prawns), however, the Tausogs are not used to eat fresh water fish but is now learning and beginning to like it.
Developments in Sulu
Access roads to near by municipalities connecting to the center town are now under construction and are to be operational before the end of this year. Roads to this areas before it was concreted, were not accessible due to big holes, mud -like soil and boulders of rocks.
When operational the park’s centerpiece is a Water Fountain complete with colored light bulbs that will illuminate the rolling and sprouting water above 12 feet from the ground.
The lighted Boulevard by the Sea has a walkway in the side of the riff-raff shoulders to accommodate early morning joggers and sunset lovers who are expected to troop the area.
Opposite the boulevard will rise a Sports Complex complete with Basketball and Tennis Courts with many indoor games.
More commercial stalls around the area will be built in uniform models to accommodate goods and products to be sold at bottom low prices that will showcase native and indigenous products.
Sulu had hosted the visit of two heads of states, two (2) Philippine Presidents, Pres. Gloria Arroyo and Former Pres. Joseph Estrada; and the son of the Great Libyan-Arab Jamahiriya Col. Muammar Khadafi.
Personally, Sulu is one of the areas in
(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation , Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment