Zamboanga City (21 October) -- An Australian government-funded project has turned over last week around half a million worth of equipment to support airport and seaport operations here in line with the thrust of enhancing coordination and delivery of customs, immigration, quarantine, and security (CIQS) services in Mindanao and Palawan.

A package of P500,000 worth of equipment which include handheld radios, desktop computers and printers, and other necessary facilities for day-to-day airport and seaport operations was handed to key officials here headed by Port Manager Leonilo Miole of Philippine Ports Authority-Port Management Office (PPA-PMO) Philippine, National Police-Aviation Security Group Chief PSSupt Danilo Abadiano and Zamboanga City Airport Manager Celso Bayabos of Civil Aviation Authority.

Purchasing of a closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras for the Zamboanga seaport through the assistance package is also being considered by PPA.

The equipment was granted through the BIMP-EAGA Support Team (BEST) on CIQS Project, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and implemented by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo).

Said equipment, according to the Zamboanga City CIQS Consultative Council (ZC-CIQS-CC), are necessary for enhancing security as well as easing the flow of communication and coordination at Zamboanga ports.

"MEDCo is confident that we are gradually gaining our momentum towards achieving our goal of increasing trade, tourism and investment in BIMP-EAGA through improving the delivery of CIQS services at ports, starting with providing security for our stakeholders," said Usec. Virgilio Leyretana, chairman of MEDCo during the turnover ceremony held at the Zamboanga City airport.

He added that an improved CIQS coordination at ports will help facilitate a freer and faster movement of people, goods and services around Mindanao and Palawan and within the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

He said MEDCo through the project has been facilitating requests from CIQS agencies for assistance in improving port operations through the provision of port equipment and facilities. The equipment support would also complement with the learning gained by CIQS agencies from various CIQS skills trainings.

Introduced in 2006, the BEST on CIQS Project aims to strengthen coordination and partnership among CIQS agencies, provide capacity-building activities to improve delivery of CIQS services at ports, and harmonize CIQS rules, regulations and procedures.

Through AusAID, MEDCo and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), the BEST on CIQS Project was able to commit around PhpP3.75-million for all six priority ports in Mindanao and Palawan, which include Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos-Sarangani, Cotabato-ARMM, and Palawan.

Through the BEST in CIQS Project, Local CIQS Consultative Councils (LCCCs) in the ports of Davao, General Santos and Zamboanga, were revived and strengthened while the LCCCs in Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato, and Puerto Princesa were operationalized. These LCCCs serve as a venue for CIQS agencies to resolve port-based issues and concerns at the local level.