Malaysia has lifted an embargo on barter trade operations in Sabah and Southern Mindanao, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Friday.

Quoting Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Abdul Khayr Alonto, Abella said trade will resume on February 1.

“The Philippine-Malaysia barter trade reopens this coming Feb. 1. Barter trade between Sabah, Malaysia and the island provinces in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will re-open as announced by the Mindanao Development Authority Secretary Abul Khayr Alonto,” Abella said.

Abella said trade has been stopped for nearly a year due to kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf at sea.

Abella said the Palace welcomes the decision of the Chief Minister of Sabah, Malaysia Musa Aman, who announced lifting of the embargo "which came about after a string of kidnapping incidents involving Malaysian victims by the terrorist ASG in island provinces."

“The re-opening of the cross-border trade will be initially in the three island provinces. However, it will eventually expand to other territories of ARMM even to General Santos City,” he said.

Last November 2016, Duterte and Najib agreed Manila will allow Malaysian and Indonesian maritime forces to pursue kidnappers into Philippines shores to address the kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf. DMS