JOLO, Sulu, Philippines – Representative Habib Tupay Loong (1st District, Sulu) vowed Tuesday to provide more livelihood programs and infrastructure projects to his district that are geared towards the upliftment of the living condition of the people in Sulu.

Loong said these livelihood programs and infrastructure projects are scheduled to be implemented in the coming days, all aimed at promoting the necessary economic growth for the province.

“I will continue to bring in livelihood and infrastructure projects for the people of my district in the coming days,” Loong said.

“I want to liberate our people here from poverty by extending them the necessary assistance, like livelihood opportunities and infrastructure projects,” he added.

Loong recently purchased some 150,000 hybrid coconut seedlings from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) station in Zamboanga City to replace the old coconut trees in the towns of Hadji Panglima Tahil, Indanan, Jolo, Maimbung, Pangutaran, Parang, Patikul, and Talipao – all located under the 1st District of Sulu.

As this developed, PCA Deputy Administrator Carlos Bañaga Carpio lauds Loong for allocating funds out of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to purchase the hybrid coconut seedlings from PCA.

Recently, Loong also distributed here about 2,000 heads of ducks to the costal residents of the municipalities of Hadji Panglima Tahil, Indanan, Jolo, Maimbung, Pangutaran, Parang, Patikul, and Talipao.

Loong believes that livelihood program is the key to bail out the people of his district from poverty and eradicate insurgency in the province.

“Always remember that the root cause of insurgency is poverty. Now, if I will continue to introduce a series of livelihood programs for my constituents, it is just as good as saying, I am reducing the insurgency rate in Sulu,” Loong pointed out.

Adding that agricultural seedlings like abaca, rubber and other high-value agricultural plants will also be distributed to the people of Sulu in the coming days.

He has also engaged the services of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources recently for the construction of a “payao” in some costal areas of his district.

Payao is a floating structure topped with coconut fronds or some other similar materials that attract the fish to stay under it.