Atty. Sukarno A. Abas, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Investment, and Tourism (MTIT) and concurrent Executive Director of the Bangsamoro Economic Zone Authority-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BEZA-BARMM) led the joint site validation with the Cotabato City

As a result of the recently concluded coordination meeting and orientation of BEZA-BARMM with the Cotabato City government, part of the agreement was to conduct a joint site validation of the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) located at Barangay Tamontaka, Cotabato City.

Atty. Abas emphasized the importance of being specific in the site development plan for the ecozone by identifying what specific investment that needs to be developed.

Included within the proposed ecozone are the public market, public terminal, and the Halal slaughterhouse. Also, part of the proposal will be the access road that will draw the ecozone nearer to the center of Cotabato City.

Meanwhile, the Cotabato City government already passed a resolution on the establishment of a special economic zone to improve the economic status of the city and the quality of the living condition of its constituents.

Moreover, the activity is part of the BEZA’s mandates to coordinate with local government units and exercise general supervision over the development, plans, activities, and operations of the ECOZONES, industrial estates, export processing zones, free trade zones, and the like.

Representatives from the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) and City Engineering Office (CEO) headed by Hamsari A. Usman, Economist III, with Engr. Danica P. Jorolan, Engr. Jobert Mayono, and Engr. Henry Kier C. Flores joined the team from BEZA-BARMM in validating the area in intended for the special ecozone. (BEZA-BARMM)