Brunei cars to be driven in Palawan?

I saw this release by the Philippines Information Agency. The only thing that struck me was, WOW! we will be able to drive in Palawan with our own cars should this RO-RO connection to Port of Brooke's Point in Southern Palawan was ever to take off connecting Muara to Labuan and to Palawan.

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Port of Brooke’s Point, ready for RO-RO connection with Malaysia, Brunei


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, 30 June (PIA) –- The port of Brooke’s Point in southern Palawan is set for Roll on-Roll off (RO-RO) connection with the ports of Labuan in Sabah and Muara Port in Brunei Darussalam.

This was announced in the plenary meeting of 8th Transport, Infrastructure, and ICT (TIICT) Development Cluster meeting held recently at Hotel Centro in Puerto Princesa City recently. The implementation of the project is waiting for the harmonization of CIQS rules for the Labuan and Muara routes.

The completion of this RO-RO connection would further boost interconnectivity within the sub-region and enhance the sub-region's goal of becoming the ASEAN's food basket and eco-tourism hub.

"We need to develop projects cutting across transportation, economy, and
tourism," said Brunei Transportation Ministry Director Pengiran Haji Mohd Zain, chairman of the 8th TIICT Development Cluster meeting.

Under the BIMP-EAGA Strategic Roadmap, EAGA aims to be recognized as the
food basket, and eco-tourism zone of the ASEAN through a seamless network of air, sea, and land transport.

With this, the key players of the transport industry players both from the private sector and government were urged during the meeting to relate every transport project to these general goals of the sub-region.

"The TIICTD sectors play vital roles in our countries' socio-economic progress. They are enablers of growth. They bring food and other agriculture product to the markets, they facilitate trade, open up tourist destinations, increase investments, and bring people, services, and goods together," said DOTC Assistant Secretary Dante Lantin, head of the Philippine Delegation in his Welcome Remarks.

During the plenary session, the TIICTD cluster identified and prioritized projects and discussed issues and concerns relevant to the development of key transport, infrastructure and ICT industries.

The suspended routes from Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu, and Zamboanga to Sandakan were one of the key projects that were identified as priorities and to be presented to the upcoming Transport Ministers Meeting slated this year.

Philippines , which has adopted the Open Skies Policy (EO 29) this year, also urged the other BIMP-EAGA member countries to open up through a proposed BIMP-EAGA Open Skies. The country is advocating reciprocity from the other member countries.

It was further proposed for the member countries to explore the possibility of creating an interline hub, which will serve as the drop and pick-up point
of the airlines.

The Philippine delegation also agreed to submit a proposal on a conduct of an Airline Summit, which aims to encourage airline operations in BIMP-EAGA.

The meeting also highlighted reports on the status of ports infrastructure improvement in EAGA. Philippines reported that funds from Philippine Ports Authority have been allocated for the improvements of Davao , Zamboanga, and General Santos ports.

Prior to the working group meeting, the 1st TIICTD Private Sector meeting was held, hosted by the Palawan Economic Development Council.

The meeting aims to recognize the role of the BIMP-EAGA private sector in ensuring the success of the current and future projects. (vsmendoza/MinDA/pia-palawan)

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