by Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol

Chairman, Mindanao Development Authority

Zamboanga City - Today, the Mindanao Development Authority team which I led was supposed to take a 14 to 15-hour sea travel via Philippine Coast Guard vessel to Mapun and Turtle Islands of Tawitawi Province.

Together with the Dept.of Information and Communications Technology, we were scheduled to set up and launch the VSAT communications system which would link the islands to the rest of the country.

During the final briefing yesterday however, the Coast Guard satellite images showed very rough seas prompting us to defer the trip.

Since I am already in Zamboanga City, I decided to cross the channel and check on the fishermen in the island of Basilan.

The island has been identified as one of the sites for the Mindanao Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Program's Fish Centers.

Watch the full video below: