Businessmen and local government officials from Tahuna, Indonesia agreed with their counterparts in Glan, Sarangani last July 7 to step up trade and cultural exchanges by way of a merchant vessel plying the Glan-Tahuna route on a regular basis.
Included in the list Tahuna will export are coal, tuna, tiles, tires and clothing while Glan offers plywood, soft drinks, hardware materials and cement.
The 18 Indonesian delegates from Tahuna also conferred with newly-elected Glan mayor Victor James Yap to renew sisterhood ties established during the term of the mayor’s brother, former mayor Enrique Yap Jr., who had served three terms.
Ezmar Jabez Gaghana, vice head of Sangihe Regency, said he was happy that the new Glan administration would “continue with the memorandum of understanding” on agri-fishery, trade and commerce, education and culture.
Yap, for his part, said he also wants “to continue what has been started by my brother” as an opportunity to boost the local economy.
“I hope we could continue further business and trade between Tahuna and Glan,” he said.
Davao City-based Indonesian Consul General Lalu Malik Partawana described the occasion as “a victorious event towards the betterment in the relationship between Tahuna and the Philippines.”
“We have been doing this very hard. It’s not easy. I’ve been there negotiating (for this relationship) so please keep this as things you always continue doing, as if there is no end of this kind of relationship,” Partawana told the delegates.
Partawana said he is negotiating for a “much closer relationship between the two neighboring regions” in the form of trade.
The Indonesian delegation arrived via KN Sun Lia, a government-subsidized cargo ship. It was the vessel’s second call to the port of Glan, a limited international port.
Yap was hoping that after two weeks “the boat could come back loaded already with goods” as their first bilateral meeting had ironed out issues on customs, immigration, quarantine and security services.
Robert Yee, president of Glan Sumbang Point Chamber of Commerce, disclosed that “in the next trips we will have more goods and people coming in.” [Beverly C. Paoyon]
Both parties finalized the list of commodities for trade before the Indonesian delegation left Thursday (July 8).
Since Yap proposed for a monthly or even twice a month shipping schedule, he said “we will support” and facilitate government requirements but the commitment should be coming from the business sector.
Yap said his municipality would invite big investors from outside of Glan. “I know there’s a lot. I will be talking about to the chamber and create a technical working group to work specifically on this matter because this is a very good opportunity,” he said.
“The municipality will come in to help facilitate because any time we can contact the owners of factories, the fishing sector and big hardware establishments in General Santos City” to supply additional products needed in the trade to ensure that trading demands will be met,” Yap said.
Glan vice mayor Vivien Yap said if the trading prospers, Glan could supply the cities of General Santos and Davao with certain commodities from Tahuna. [Beverly C. Paoyon/Sarangani Information Office]
