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Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao Archived News
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Seal of ARMM

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

ARMM opens access road in Tawi-Tawi

By Manuel Cayon

DAVAO CITY — Tawi-Tawi province in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is now more accessible with the completion of an access road from the town of Indangan.

The access road is part of a new P80-million budget for infrastructure, a big portion of which is going to the repair and improvement of the country’s first and oldest mosque located in Tawi-Tawi.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman led the inauguration of the access road this month and said residents of Simunul Island as well as its visitors stand to benefit from the new access road.

The road is critical in helping increase accessibility to Barangay Tubig-Indangan, the site of the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque, a national historical and tourism site.

Sheikh Karimul Makhdum was an Islamic preacher from Malaysia who arrived in Tawi-Tawi in 1380. He helped introduce Islam earlier brought by Arab traders and missionaries. From then on, Islam became the faith of the Moro people and has been dominant in the Bangsamoro life and culture, and which the ARMM said, has “set the Moros’ identity apart from the rest of the country.”

The Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque, the oldest in the Philippines, is a national historical landmark declared by the National Historical Commission. The mosque has been acknowledged as a national cultural treasure by the National Museum.

Included in the project’s P80-million budget is the improvement of the Sheikh Karimul Makdum Mosque and the Sheikh Makdum Cultural Center to preserve and promote the cultural and historical significance of the site.

Tawi-Tawi Gov. Rashidin Matba, Public Works Secretary Don Mustapha Loong, and Tawi-Tawi District Engr. Toni Kamlan assisted Hataman in inaugurating the projects.

Simunul Mayor Bonjing Abdurahman and other ARMM officials were also present during the event.

The ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly has formed a management board to manage, preserve and promote the Makhdum mosque, one of Bangsamoro’s historical landmarks. The mosque was off limits to visitors while it was undergoing restoration and rehabilitation.

The town of Simunul has been a recipient of several other projects reaching P321 million since 2012. The projects included the construction of bridges, seaports, flood control facilities and water system.

The access road was among the 12 road projects in Simunul worth P191.5 million with 64.42-percent physical accomplishment so far, the ARMM Bureau of Public Information said. These projects were part of the ARMM Department of Public Works and Highways’s regular infrastructure program.

Little-known fact: Marawi schools outperform others in ARMM

By Clarissa C. David and Jeriesa P. Osorio (Rappler.com)

In the rebuilding of majestic Marawi City, inordinate attention and resources are needed to bring children back to their schools, and back into their schooling routine

Most children in Marawi City aspire to become engineers. Its largest public high school posts math scores that are almost 10 points higher than the national average, and almost 20 points higher than the average in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The government is now moving toward rebuilding this historic city. It must rebuild homes, buildings, markets, and roads. It must also rebuild schools.

The prospect and process of rebuilding and education system can be daunting. Let us take a look at what it was before the fighting began.

Outperforming others in the region

There are 36,168 students across 73 public schools in Marawi City.

These include 61 elementary schools, 8 high schools, and 3 senior high schools. Across the country until 2015, all students are required to take the National Achievement Test at Grade 3, Grade 6, and 4th year high school. The test is meant to measure student mastery levels of different subjects like reading, math, science, and Filipino.

Marawi schools outperform most others in ARMM, and in certain subjects like math, outperform even the majority of schools in the country.

The Marawi average NAT score at Grade 3 in 2014 is higher than the national average by over 7 percentage points (Figure 1). In Grade 6 they score lower than the overall national average, but higher than the ARMM average.

Across the 3 years of test scores between 2012-2014, elementary schools in Marawi have generally been improving.

https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/D6BF9D9F37224EBDAF707AEBFAEEC8D0/marawi-educ-1_D6BF9D9F37224EBDAF707AEBFAEEC8D0.jpg

In high school the average test scores of Marawi students are lower than the national average and comparable to the ARMM average. However, Marawi schools score much higher on the math test than most other schools in the country. This is a consistent high performance over multiple years.

The overall average NAT score for high school is pulled down by lower scores in other subjects, including unsurprisingly, Filipino.

Most students in the largest high school in the city aspire to become engineers, says Principal Noraya Alug of the Marawi City National High School. There is strong interest in math because of students’ intention to apply to engineering courses in college.

According to Principal Alug, the attraction to engineering began when overseas workers leaving Marawi for Saudi Arabia were mostly engineers, inspiring children across the city to aim for an engineering degree and eventually a job overseas.

https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/4BE59F7E88194424B502ADBD259C068A/marawi-educ-2_4BE59F7E88194424B502ADBD259C068A.jpg

Post-conflict: What happened to Marawi students?

Families displaced by conflict moved to neighboring Iligan City and other nearby municipalities, to live with family members, friends, or in evacuation centers. Children continue schooling through different arrangements, but the majority of students enroll in schools where they are temporarily residing.

Principal Alug’s school, Marawi National High School, has thousands of students. Over 600 of them are enrolled in Iligan National High School, where she also now reports for work. About a thousand students are in Cagayan de Oro and a few hundred are in nearby municipal high schools. The teachers were deployed to the high schools that absorbed hundreds more students than they are staffed up for.

In the schools that host evacuated students, overcrowding is avoided by shifting classes. Morning shift classes are 6 am-12 nn and afternoon ones are from 12:30-6pm.

Displaced children are grouped together in classes separate from the regular students, borne perhaps by an expectation that this is a temporary arrangement. It is unclear though how long the students will be staying in host schools, and many parents are concerned that their children should be mainstreamed or incorporated into regular classes rather than segregated. Teachers are less enthusiastic about mainstreaming their kids, concerned about having students feel alienated and being vulnerable to potential bullying and discrimination.

Outside of their home communities and schools, the children’s progress in school can be delayed, and the cost of schooling is more expensive.

In the beginning of the school-year days were spent on much-needed psychosocial counseling. Children are encouraged to talk in class and with fellow displaced classmates about their experiences and fears. They describe the evacuation, how homes have been destroyed or seriously damaged, their concern about where they will be living, and how they can be sure they will not be separated from their families.

These are admirable efforts to mitigate the long-term impacts of prolonged conflict on students, and the benefits will be realized once communities are allowed to return to Marawi, where life can go back to something close to normal.

Vulnerability to conflict

Historically, schools are vulnerable to conflict and crime in all ARMM provinces.

In the years 2010 to 2014, 20% of all schools in the region reported at least one incidence of conflict or crime during the schoolyear. This represents 14 incidences of conflict, plus 15 reported times that a school was used as an evacuation center.

In Marawi specifically, the schools reporting conflict during those years include Tuca Boganga ES, Amai Pakpak CES, and Marawi City National High School.

Reported incidences in Marawi before the current conflict is lower than in other provinces of ARMM, but it is still high considering that nationally, the odds of a school being affected by conflict is close to zero.

Any disruption to an otherwise routine calendared academic year of learning can lead to declines in student performance.

Table 1 shows NAT scores for Marawi City and ARMM schools that reported conflict in 2014. Notably in elementary schools in Marawi, these disruptions coincide with lower test scores.

https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/F53D9E7D03544F1D9BB8A894C39A1D5D/marawi-educ-3_F53D9E7D03544F1D9BB8A894C39A1D5D.jpg

Disruptions to schooling caused by displacement and conflict may result in long-term declines in student learning outcomes if children are not properly guided through the period of disruption and brought back to a secure and stable learning community.

Cushioning against long-term impact of conflict

Putting a city back together is not only a matter of building structures, it is a matter of restoring communities and creating an environment where residents feel secure, safe, and normal. The same applies to schools. Making the school building operational is but the first step, the larger challenge is in bringing children and teachers back to an environment where learning can continue.

In the rebuilding of majestic Marawi City, inordinate attention and resources are needed to bring children back to their schools, and back into their schooling routine.

Mitigating for the impact of disruption and displacement on the lives and learning of Marawi’s children will contribute to the long-term development of the region, and to the elusive peace sought by all its citizens.

ARMM grants scholarship to MNLF beneficiaries

(EOF/PNA)

COTABATO CITY -- As promised, the government granted education assistance to more than 1,000 students from the provinces of Maguindanao under a government anti-poverty program, officials on Monday said.

In coordination with the Commission on Higher Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED-ARMM), Gov. Mujiv Hataman distributed education to students coming from Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur who were sons and daughters and immediate families of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The educational program was in compliance with the provisions of the 1996 peace agreement between the government and the MNLF.

The education assistance was one of the programs implemented through the “Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan” (PaMaNa) and Humanitarian Development Action Program-College Education Assistance Program (HDAP-CEAP).

Engr. Dong Anayatin, PaMaNa-AARMM program manager, said more college students are expected to receive similar scholarship grants for the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Ched-Armm Commissioner Amor Pendaliday said the validation and confirmation of the endorsed beneficiaries from PaMaNa project management office will continue to ensure the deserving students will get the necessary scholarship.

Hataman reminded the students of the importance of education as vehicle for better future of Bangsamoro.

Of the beneficiaries, 1,016 students were under PaMaNa-Armm and 52 students under HDAP program. Each college students received an amount of P20,000 covering two semesters for the year 2017-2018, Anayatin said.

ARMM youth leaders get Asean awards

(EOF/PNA)

COTABATO CITY – Two young Moro leaders from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) received awards from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) this year in Jakarta, Indonesia for accomplishments in their respective fields, according to James Ceasar Ventura, NYC commissioner.

Rasul Alih and Amin Hataman both brought honors to more than five million Filipino Muslims after receiving the recognition at the Sultan Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia during the 22nd Asean Youth Day Meeting and the Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youth.

In a statement released here Tuesday, Ventura said Rasul Alih II, an artist and a student, represented “Ingat Kapandayan Artists Center” that promotes Tausug arts and culture.

Based at the Church-run Notre Dame of Jolo College in Jolo, Sulu Alih’s group seeks to preserve the cultural heritage of Sulu and the Tausug tribe.

His group thanked the people behind the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations Foundation, the Office of Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and the National Youth Commission (NYC) for the recognition.

“You inspired us to do more great things for our nation,” Ingat Kapandayan said through a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, 16 year-old Amin Hataman was responsible for developing biodegradable bags made from coconut by-products. He also received his award during the Asean Youth Day ceremonies.

The young Hataman is the eldest son of Armm Gov. Mujiv Hataman and Anak Mindanao party-list Representative Sitti Djalia Turabin Hataman.

“It's an honor to receive this award. I am very thankful for the NYC for choosing me as the recipient of the Asean Youth Award,” the young Hataman said.

He said the search gave him the opportunity to join discussion and forum abut Asean. ”I am very grateful for being able to join in the discussions and forums, and having the opportunity to learn more about the relationship between the Asean countries, and being able to learn from other delegates of different backgrounds and points of view," he added.

Ventura said choosing this year’s individual awardees required looking into other areas that have not been given adequate consideration in the past but could be major sources of inspiration for many youth leaders across the country.

“In the NYC Commissioners Meeting where we selected the Asean Youth Awardee, we considered not just (what) someone accomplished but someone who can inspire our youth to focus on areas we have been ignoring before,” Ventura said.

“Science and technology is an area where we are clearly lagging behind. Hataman was the nominee who satisfied that criterion. At a young age, he had reaped recognition because of his promising work in science and research,” Ventura said.

According to NYC commissioner, the young Hataman has inspired not only the Moro youth but every Filipino youth to explore the potentials of the country’s local resources, develop them into useful products for the benefit of the community.

”He inspires not just enthusiasm in science, and environmentalism, but also social entrepreneurship where the communities are placed at the center of business and innovation," he said.

Land Bank begins HARVEST for Mindanao

(PR/PNA)

MANILA, July 23 -- Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III announced that the Land Bank of the Philippines has begun implementing a Japan-funded USD 40 million (PHP1.76 billion) project that aims to jumpstart agribusiness investments and raise farmers’ incomes in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other conflict-affected areas in the southern Philippines.

The loan agreement for this program -- the Harnessing Agribusiness Through Robust and Vibrant Entrepreneurship Support of Peaceful Transformation (HARVEST) -- was signed between the LandBank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) last January 12, 2017, and based on documents from JICA, became effective on June 9, 2017.

“The HARVEST program which we signed with (JICA) a few months ago is now ongoing,” Dominguez said at a recent briefing in Malacanang. “The terms (of the loan agreement) are very, very liberal. The interest rates are extremely low so you can almost say they are ‘semi-grants’.”

The HARVEST program is included in the list of projects with an indicative total cost PHP315 billion that the Philippines has proposed for financing by Japan during the second meeting of the Philippine-Japan high-level joint committee on infrastructure development and economic cooperation held recently in Manila.

The loan deal for the HARVEST program was among the agreements signed between Manila and Tokyo during Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s two-day visit to the Philippines last January.

On top of the proposed loan, JICA intends to provide a technical grant of about USD 6 million (about PHP290 million) to support projects of eligible beneficiaries of HARVEST and other initiatives that will help improve farming techniques and raise farmers’ incomes in the ARMM.

The loan offers a very low interest rate of 1.4 percent per annum with a repayment period of 18 years and a seven-year grace period, for a total maturity period of 25 years.

HARVEST, which will be implemented by the Land Bank from 2017 to 2022, aims to open a lending window for agribusiness ventures and other related investments in ARMM and other conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

According to the DOF, loans funded under the HARVEST project will be made available to large agribusiness enterprises, farmers’ organizations or cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as well as “corporatives” or corporation-managed farms supported by the Landbank in ARMM and other conflict-affected areas.

Projects that are sourcing products or goods from the ARMM and other covered areas as part of a value chain are also qualified to borrow under the HARVEST program.

1st ASEAN forum to be held in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on July 27

By Dominic I. Sanchez (ALT/DIS/PIA9-Zamboanga City)

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PIA) – The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) with the support of the local government of Tawi-Tawi is set to conduct the first ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Forum in the province at the Initiative for Tawi-Tawi Area Development Foundation, Inc. in the town of Bongao on July 27.

According to PIA 9 Regional Director Noemi B. Edaga, this forum, a first of its kind in the province aims to bring the ASEAN good news to the local populace.

“We hope that the ASEAN information will reach the grassroots, and bring knowledge about the opportunities and benefits of being part of the ASEAN community, especially considering the proximity of Tawi-Tawi to our ASEAN neighbor Malaysia,” Director Edaga said.

Tawi-Tawi is known for its friendly and hospitable local folks, pristine natural beauty and potential for economic development.

In a consultative meeting held last May, Bongao municipal secretary Maria Vema Gaticales and other key local officials shared issues confronting the town and province, being the closest to an ASEAN neighbor. These include human trafficking, undocumented Filipino workers, improving access to the ASEAN market, lack of labor agreements between ASEAN member-states, among others.

“These issues will be presented during the ASEAN forum, and we hope that the national government will heed our call to help address these issues,” Gaticales said.

Representatives from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Tawi-Tawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TTCCI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of National Defense (DND) and Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) will sit during the forum to respond to queries relating to the aforementioned issues.

“We are looking forward that after this engagement, Tawi-Tawi residents will not be only informed about the ASEAN, but just as important, the national government will be more aware of the local issues that they can indeed help address,” Director Edaga said.

DENR-ARMM starts multi-million projects in Maguindanao

(EOF/PNA)

RAJAH BUAYAN, Maguindanao, July 20 -- Two major projects of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DENR-Armm) have been launched here Thursday that will benefit not only its people but the nearby municipalities as well as the whole of Maguindanao.

Forester Kahal Kedtag, DENR-ARMM regional secretary, said the Sustainable Integrated Area Development (SIAD) program and Free Land Titling project under Humanitarian Development Assistance Program (HDAP) are among the anit-poverty program pushed by Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman since he assumed office.

Rajah Buayan is the pilot area for SIAD. Under the SIAD, residents and the local government unit will establish massive bamboo plantation and enterprise amounting to about PHP21 million for its first tranche.

Kedtag said the SIAD project was first introduced by former DENR Secretary Regina Lopez and will provide the beneficiaries technology needed from product development to marketing, and will generate livelihood among the locals.

Kedtag said the project will also invest PHP19 million worth of bamboo plantation in South Upi, Maguindanao and another PHP21 million worth of mangrove plantation in Tawi-Tawi.

"This project is a big contribution to poverty alleviation in the ARMM," Kedtag told reporters.

Meanwhile, Rajah Buayan will also benefit from free land survey and titling project of the department under HDAP.

Before the project implementation, DENR officials conducted a consultation meeting with the beneficiaries of the program to ensure widest acceptance and support.

Kedtag also announced ARMM has allocated PH42 million for the implementation of the similar project in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

"This will solve land conflict issues that, sadly claimed lives, in the region," Kedtag said, referring to clan wars or “rido” that developed due to land dispute.

ARMM eyes Nestle for cassava production

(EOF/PNA)

COTABATO CITY, July 19 -- The Regional Board of Investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-Armm) Wednesday said the region is prepared to supply Nestle Philippines with cassava and cassava flour for its P2 billion Protomalt processing plant for Milo health food drinks.

Once a deal is sealed, the effort would help Lanao del Sur and Marawi City recovered economically from the devastation of the on-going armed conflict since the firm is based in Lanao and some of its workers are from Marawi City, Armm investment officials said.

Recently, Nestle announced that the construction of the Milo malt plant in Lipa, Batangas that started in late 2015 is expected to be completed and operational by October this year.

Lawyer Ishak Mastura, RBOI-Armm chair, said it was it was reported that Nestle sought the help of the Department of Agriculture to source and increase supply of cassava for its MILO plant. The main ingredients for the MILO drink processing plant are barley and cassava.

Last year, Armm has recorded the highest production of cassava in the country at 423,650 metric tons and contributed 55.6 percent to country’s total cassava output.

"We have discussed with the Armm economic cluster agencies that the Armm has a great economic opportunity with the planned establishment of the Nestle protomalt plant, whose main ingredient is cassava, because we are the country's biggest producer of cassava," Mastura added.

"In line with the rehabilitation and recovery of Marawi City and Lanao del Sur after the Marawi Siege and considering that cassava in the Armm is mainly produced in Lanao del Sur, the government can support our cassava farmers to expand their production and encourage new planters by building the logistics supply chain to meet the huge demand from Nestle and other end buyers," Mastura said.

The top producer of cassava in the ARMM Matling Industrial and Commercial Corporation (Matling) based in Malabang, Lanao del Sur, one the country's oldest corporations. Founded in 1928, Matling Corporation is the leading cassava plantation and cassava flour milling.

Armm Governor Mujiv Hataman welcomed the opportunity for cassava farmers in the region to increase prices for their produce with the establishment of Nestle's protomalt plant.

"What we want to happen is that economies of scale can bring the cost of production down, which will in turn bring up the net profit for our cassava farmers," said Hataman.

Both Hataman and Mastura were optimistic Nestle would consider cassava products from because it will help the economy of Lanao Sur and Marawi City recover fast.

LANDMARK HONORS ISLAMIC PREACHER

By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL (TMT)

COTABATO CITY: Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and the Simunul local government recently launched a seaside historical landmark honoring Sheik Karimul Makdum, a 14th century Arab missionary, judge and scholar who taught southerners Islamic peace activism that outlawed Islamic terrorists at present are trying to destroy.

The landmark was constructed on the spot where Makdum landed on the shores of Simunul Island in Tawi-Tawi province.

He supervised the construction of the oldest mosque in the Philippines, the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque in 1380 that marked the introduction of the Islamic faith in the country.

Makdum brought with him a copy of the Qur’an that he used as main reference in propagating Islam in what are now island towns in Tawi-Tawi.

ARMM and provincial officials led the inauguration that was capped by the launching of P80 million worth of infrastructure projects in Simunul.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the landmark with a figure of the Holy Qur’an on top of an arch shall be a “strong reminder” for people in Tawi-Tawi to remain moderate in their interpretations of the teachings in the Qur’an.

Outlawed religious extremists in ARMM supposedly have been misinterpreting many verses in the Qur’an when they preach to justify their violent behavior and their persecution of Christians and neutral Muslims.

Exhibit promotes understanding Muslim culture

By Ayunan Gunting-Al Hadj

The sophistication of Mindanao is highlighted in a touring exhibition.

The aims of Congresswoman Sitti Hataman of Anak Mindanao Party List are to show Muslims as part of Philippine society and to dismiss the labels refugees, uncultured, or aggressive people.

Coming from a royal family, she knows. Sitti was brought up in a household steep in tradition, such as preparing food in a sacred manner, weaving mats in meditation, chanting epics and living up to royal protocols.

The touring exhibit, Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture, is one of the fruits of Sitti’s bill on the establishment of an institution for Sulu and Mindanao arts to promote understanding of culture and lifestyle of the South.

“Sitti wanted to convey the face of the Moro outside of the stereotype. Putting up a museum would be expensive, but the logistics should not stop us from bringing the culture closer to the people,” says curator Marian Pastor Roces, founder of TAO, Inc., a company that organizes exhibits.

Muslims of the Philippines presents artifacts, textiles, musical instruments, folk art with the objective that education will dispel ignorance and biases. Sponsored by the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), it serves as an introduction to Muslim culture for the rest of Filipinos to understand better their brothers and sisters in Mindanao and themselves as a nation.

“Muslim Filipinos are also indigenous. What makes them different from other groups is that they embraced Islam. The first Muslim missionaries in the 14th century adapted to the existing culture in the Philippines instead of imposing theirs. I learned about other non-Muslim indigenous communities when I worked for NGOs and the Anak Mindanao, which upholds the rights of indigenous people. Understanding the indigenous culture made me realize that our ancestors were way ahead of their time. They have been mislabeled as uncivilized or uneducated. Their knowledge of the sciences, agriculture, literature, engineering, and maritime was advanced. Deeply spiritual, they remember the Supreme Being in their everyday tasks. They had a higher responsibility towards all of creation,” explains Sitti.

Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture has been well received by the public when it toured the SM malls recently. Filipinos, who don’t normally read exhibit notes and captions, were captivated by the pre-history and history of Islam in the Philippines. The texts were designed on large light boxes and panels. Many also read Roces’s detailed chronology of the people and events that defined Mindanao from 1889 to 2000.

“For those, who want to see the epic and are interested in serious reading, there is the timeline showing the massacres, the governance, succession and the cultural milestone,” she says.

The exhibit was held from July 10 t o 14 at the DLSU College of Saint Benilde.

Roces explains that she has to work within the challenges of lack of climate control to protect the objects, space and tight security.

“Given these limitations, I wanted a well-designed exhibition to match the artistry of their culture. The arts of Marawi and Tawi-Tawi are very sophisticated. It’s an aspect that is not part of the national consciousness,” she says.

Sections were divided according to ethnolinguistic groups. Roces notes that the word “tribe” is incorrect. Hence, these group--such as Maranaw-Maguindanao-Iranon, Tausug and Samals-- are categorized according to their language and how they eventually became part of Muslim Mindanao

The exhibit features the famous banig weaving from Tandubas and Laminsa, Sulu. These extraordinary mats are rare as Sulu is remote to outsiders.

Glasses contain artifacts such as weaponry, which reveals the Muslim’s advanced craftsmanship. Among them are the kampilan, a long, single-edged sword with an ivory handle, which shows the strength of the Maranaws-Maguindanao and Tausugs in metal tradition and the pirah, a wider version of the bolo or scabbard, with a birdlike horn hilt, produced by the Yakan.

The show also highlights the textile tradition with the pis siyabit, a silk head cloth from the Tausugs, and the saputangan, a square head kerchief showing the rich tapestry (a handwoven fabric with complex patterns).

At the onset of the Marawi siege Congresswoman Sitti and Roces collaborated on a new section on the culture of Lanao del Sur’s capital.

“People didn’t know where Marawi was and how it looked like,” says Roces. She adds that among Marawai’s offerings are the famous Lake Lanao, the spectacular art and the environment of nature and heritage. Among the schools, Maranao State University has been progressive in having a charter that promotes cultural understanding and diversity.

Representing the Maranao heritage is the okir design on panolong or the extended beam of yet another cultural treasure, the torrogan, the bungalow with flaring eaves. The okir designs are expressed through colorful and elaborate arabesque patterns.

Echoing the sentiment of the times, a reflection on Marawi by a Maranao émigré is also on display.

“We want to say that there has been a huge amount of artmaking from these people which is a contrast to their stereotype as violent people,” explains Roces. “We can’t live with stereotypes. The death of clear thinking leads to war. Let us look beyond stereotypes and appreciate their challenging history but gorgeous art.”

Explains Sitti, “We’ve had misunderstandings because we don’t know each other. We just keeping on talking through peace tables and dialogues yet so much have left been unsaid. Perhaps, through this exhibition we could let people experience who we are and connect us with each other. This should not be strange to the Filipinos because it is part of the Filipino people. In knowing us, you will know yourselves.”

NCCA to help involve youth in rebuilding Marawi through cultural livelihood

By Jasper Marie Oblina-Rucat (JMOR/PIA10)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through Talakayan sa PIA on 12 July 2017 shares that they are optimistic that the core of Maranao culture will be preserved despite the crisis in Marawi through involving the youth in crafts making.

Adelina Suemith, head of Socio-Cultural Working Group of BIMP-EAGA region and National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) Chief of Program Monitoring and Evaluation Division said that they are planning a program to involve the Maranao youth, once the rebuilding of Marawi will take place, in a cultural livelihood to make Maranao crafts. This is one way of preserving Marano culture and arts and at the same time source of income for them.

Meanwhile, Engr. Marites Maguindra, executive director of the Bureau on Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said that understanding culture is one way to attain peace. There has been a lot of stereotypes about the Muslim culture, but if only people could understand and appreciate then we can live in harmony, she said.

She also added that ARMM has also planned to build a cultural center in Marawi once the crisis is over. This way, all the craftsmanship of Maranao culture will be displayed in one place.

Further, Lordelie Enjambre of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) shared that culture is within us, embedded since birth. No war or crisis can take that away.

This is why NCCA is spearheading a Mindanao culture and arts festival dubbed “Budayaw” in General Santos City on 20-24 September 2017. Philippines is the first ever member nation of BIMP-EAGA to host this event.

Budayaw will showcase the diveristy of creative expressions of cultural masters and artisits in Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as well as raise awareness and foster appreciation on the landscapes, life-scapes and aspirations of peoples of the region.

The goal of this event is to raise appreciation of the different cultures of BIMP-EAGA nations and seek the unity in diversity.

According to Nestor Horfilla, head of Festival Organizing Team and Artistic Directors’ Team of Budayaw 2017, even though we are different nations, we have commonality particularly in the origin of the language and how we do things. Although it has evolved through the years but still the core is there.

Meanwhile, Dr. Pila Torres Banaag, vice-head of the National committee on Communications of NCCA explained that Mindanao has been preparing to participate in this event through its various cultural groups.

This festival is a combined efforts og NCCA, MinDA, Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), ARMM, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Province of Saranggani, General Santos City and Mindanao State University - General Santos City.

Marawi mothers get hygiene kits for babies

(EOF/PNA)

COTABATO CITY, July 14 -– Health authorities and humanitarian workers serving thousands of displaced families from Marawi City on Thursday lauded efforts of good Samaritans who provided the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with diapers and medical kits for mothers with babies in temporary shelters in Lanao del Sur.

Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., ARMM Health department secretary, said “diapers in difficult situations, such as the unexpected displacement of families, give parents a sigh of relief on easier management of their children’s wastes when water supply is scarce and sanitary disposal poses a challenge.”

“For the Health department, it is a better alternative that allows parents to focus on more important things while sanitary disposal is afforded for their children,” Sinolinding said.

Unsanitary practices, he said, could even lead to serious infections among babies.

Earlier, about 80,000 cloth and disposable diapers have been distributed to lactating mothers as part of the continuing humanitarian assistance to affected residents in Marawi City.

Khal Mambuay-Campong, ARMM Cabinet secretary, said the recipients are nursing mothers currently in evacuation centers as well as those staying in their relatives’ homes.

ARMM government agencies and private donors from Manila and Cotabato City donated the diapers, Campong said.

“As part of the ARMM's Crisis Management Committee, and as a mother, ito yung naisip namin na ibigay dahil gusto namin matulungan yung mga parents na hirap maghanap ng diapers for their babies dahil walang mabilihan (we found it fitting to distribute diapers because mothers would surely find it hard to find hygiene kits in their current situation)," Campong said.

She reiterated how important the diapers are to keep the babies clean, dry and healthy. The fifth batch of diapers was distributed on July 10, in evacuation centers in Lanao del Sur.

Also, the Philippine Business for Social Progress and private groups outside the ARMM took part in the campaign.

One of the recipients told disaster workers that her baby is in need of diapers. “Since we could not buy them nearby, we just waited here until donors came over,” said Kuray Datu Ma-as, one of the thousands of displaced Marawi residents staying at the evacuation center in Saguriaran municipality.

Campong said the drive will continue as long as the displaced families are in evacuation centers. She added that even when they return home, they still need the diapers for their babies.

Aboitiz firm donates to Maguindanao school

(EOF/PNA)

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao -- The Aboitiz owned power firm serving Cotabato City and parts of Maguindanao continued its social corporate responsibility, helping communities through education.

The latest recipient of its CSR is a far-flung village here where the residents have been covered by the Cotabato Light and Power Company (Cotabato Light) service area.

Barangay Badak is a coastal town inhabited mainly by Maguindanao and Tiduray indigenous peoples whose children are studying at Don Antonio Martinez Sr Elementary School (DAMSES).

The village is populated by about 1,300 residents and about 700 are pupils of DAMSES but the school have only few classrooms and needs chairs and desks.

School children walked for several kilometers to classes daily and have difficulty due to lack of arm chairs and desks.

The Cotabato Light saw it as an opportunity to have impact on the education of poor students by providing them with 235 pre-fabricated new chairs and desks in compliance of its corporate social responsibilities (CSR).

The outreach program was dubbed “Writing from the floor no more,” said Anna Lea Lee L. Nataño, Cotabato Light Human Resource and Reputation Enhancement Department head.

”We found the pupils writing from the floor due to lack of arm chairs, we were touched, thus this project,” she told reporters.

The school is located in a far-flung rural area of Cotabato Light franchise about 20 kilometers from the city proper.

“Indeed, it was a good sight to behold and to endure by the youth of today whom we consider as our next generation and the hope of our nation,” said Nataño who led the Aboitiz firm’s CSR team in handing over the assistance to education officials and parents.

”It was an inspiring environment and to have descent school facility that makes learning conducive for our pupils,” Nataño.

School Teacher-In-Charge (TIC) Bai Norhaya S. Cagalawan, earlier requested Cotabato Light for any assistance for the students who walked daily for kilometers to reach the institution and attend classes standing or sitting on the floor.

The firm handed over 100 armchairs, 45 desks with 90 chairs and two of sets teachers’ tables and chairs amounting to P187,000.

“We are happy seeing the smiles of our pupils with these chair donations. We are equally glad to be an instrument of your happiness and we hope that we inspire you to study and achieve your dreams and aspirations,” Nataño told the pupils.

Cagalawan was even more elated and vowed school officials and parents will ensure the assistance will be taken cared off.

“To Aboitiz Foundation, we thank you for responding to our requests. We consider these chairs and tables as blessings from you. Rest assured we will take care of these and we hope you won’t get tired of helping us,” Cagalawan said.

As the turn over program ended, school children joyfully sit on the chairs and desks - waving and shouting thank you Cotabato Light “which for us a scenario that made our hearts full of gratefulness,” Nataño said.

The Cotabato Light, oldest among power utilities by the Aboitiz family in Mindanao, has so far extended more than Php2 million

Earlier, the Aboitiz foundation and the Department of Education in Cotabato City and Maguindanao had entered into Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for its P1.5 million budget for CSR in 2017..

The MOA was for the P1,583,000 CSR projects for the year that included the assistance to two public elementary schools - the annual Brigada Eskwela in Mandanas, refurbishment of reading and peace hub and concreting of classroom flooring of Pagalamatan Elementary School worth P240,000.

Another project (188,500.00) was for Datu Ungan Mastura National High School a public high school in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and the first P185,000 worth “BEST CAP” (Barangay Electrician Skills Training and Capability Anti-Pilferage Project) for Poblacion 7, Tukananes, Cotabato City.

This project is in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA 12).

Nataño said the biggest chunk of the budget, amounting to almost PHP750,000 goes to Notre Dame Village National High School for the Project E-Lab.

“This Electrical Laboratory is in support to Technical Vocational School which will enable students to learn the basics in Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM),” Nataño said.

“Through this, we are confident that we would be able to produce competent accredited electricians after gaining TESDA's NC2,” she added.

ARMM provides food packs to Marawi IDPs

(TPGJR/PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 12 -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is providing food packs to thousands of families displaced in the ongoing fighting in Marawi City.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said in a statement Wednesday that deliveries of more than 30,000 food packs will be made in the coming days to complete the needed food supply.

Hataman initially turned over 2,500 food packs on Monday to the municipal government of Saguiaran and provincial government of Lanao del Sur as well as the city government of Marawi.

Each food pack contains 25 kilos of rice, a kilo of mung beans, fresh and dried fish, 10 canned goods and two dozens of 3-in-1 coffee.

A food pack is enough for a two-week consumption for a family of four.

The fighting in Marawi City, which started one month and 19 days ago, has displaced more than 246,000 residents.

The more than 33,000 recipient-families of food packs are displaced families who are staying in Lanao del Sur, either house-based or in different evacuation centers.

The government has established 78 evacuation centers to house the displaced families. These are located in the following areas: Lanao del Norte, 34; Lanao del Sur, 43; and, one, Misamis Occidental.

Hataman said they have asked the help of the local government units in the distribution of the food packs to ensure that the assistance will reach the beneficiaries as quickly as possible.

He said government agencies must come together and work in solidarity with other stakeholders to deal with the damage of the Marawi crisis to infrastructures and civilian lives.

ARMM turns over 14 trucks of relief goods

By Darwin Wally T. Wee (PNA)

MARAWI CITY - Fourteen dumptrucks filled with relief goods for the evacuees arrived on Monday at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol in this city.

“This is part of our continuing distribution of relief goods. Each family received relief assistance that is intended for two weeks,” Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said.

Hataman brought with him the relief goods that could cover at least 3,000 families that were displaced in the ongoing gun battle between government forces and Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute group and Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Hataman has turned over the reliefs goods to the provincial government of Lanao del Sur, and of this city for distribution.

The relief items were generated through ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (HEART) program.

Hataman was also briefed by top military officials on the ongoing firefight.

Brig. Gen. Ramiro Manuel Rey, commander of Task Force Ranao, said the fighting is contained in at least four barangays that are located in the central business district of this besieged city.

The military has estimated that there are about 80 remaining terrorists holed up in 80 high-rise buildings in the conflict zone as of last weekend.

For the past days, military planes relentlessly bombed enemy positions.

Hataman said it will take some time before the civilians could return to the houses in the conflict zone as the military will clear the area for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnances.

He said the ARMM is prepared to provide relief assistance to the affected families.

The ARMM government has spent at least P35-million worth of emergency aid for over 200,000 internally displaced individuals.

On top of this, the regional government is also constructing sanitation facilities in some of the evacuation camps in Lanao del Sur to help ensure the health and well-being of families staying there.

While majority of the almost 46,000 families displaced by the armed conflict in Marawi City have sought shelter in their relative’s houses, some families are forced to crowd into evacuation camps.

“The unfavorable conditions in evacuation camps expose individuals staying there, especially the children, to potential health risks,” Hataman said.

Based on initial evaluation, sanitation facilities are needed in at least three evacuation sites in Lanao del Sur--two in the town of Saguiaran and one in Malabang.

ARMM’s Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will construct a total of 20 toilets in two evacuation camps in the town of Saguiaran and 10 toilets in Malabang.

The construction will also include washing and bathing facilities and the provision of water tanks.

The facilities, which will be separate for male and female, will cater to a total of at least 500 families.

Hataman said it will help improve conditions in the evacuation camps and reduce the risk of health problems.

ARMM investments reach P3.65B in Q1

(TPGJR/PNA)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 10 -- Investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have remained resilient and growing, posting a total of PHP3.65 billion in the first six months of 2017 notwithstanding the conflict in Marawi City that started on May 23.

ARMM’s Regional Board of Investments (Armm-RBOI), chair and managing head Ishak Mastura, on Monday said in a statement that the region's investment prospects continue to show signs of resilience and dynamism because the crisis area had effectively been contained by the government.

The first half figures reported by the RBOI are higher by almost 74 percent compared with 2016’s total registration of PHP2.1 billion.

The agency has, so far, registered three major projects this year.

The first of the three major projects is the PHP32-million fish processing and cold storage project of Abing Seafoods and Cold Storage located in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi that addresses the needs of fisherfolk in the province to process, store, and preserve their seafood catch.

Second is the PHP33.5-million cargo shipping project of J. Sayang Shipping Lines, Inc., which is also based in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, for inter-island trade, as well as, for cross-border shipping with Sabah, Malaysia.

Third, the RBOI has approved the PHP3-billion telecommunications carrier project of TierOne Communications International, Inc. (TierOne) for the region.

In the case of the TierOne, the company’s original plan was to start with a roll-out program in Marawi City.

But TierOne had to re-evaluate the place due to the current crisis. The Marawi rollout will still be implemented but in coordination with the rehabilitation and reconstruction program of the government.

In the revised plan, the company will first roll-out a pilot program by building facilities in the ARMM compound in Cotabato City that would serve the regional agencies.

TierOne’s project will cover cellular service in 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE and broadband wireless internet to homes and enterprises as well as WiFi for public, or common, areas.

Mastura said they expect more investments coming in during the second half of this year.

These will included banana plantation investments in Maguindanao; port services project worth PHP100 million; a bulk water treatment project worth around PHP200 million; and, a cacao plantation project that will pour in PHP1 billion.

The ARMM-RBOI provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to investors.

ARMM SPENDS P56-M to boost Bongao Peak

By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL (TMT)

COTABATO CITY: The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said it spent P56 million for the access road and development of Bongao Peak, or Bud Bongao, the first eco-tourism park developed by the regional government in Tawi-Tawi.

The opening of the access road was followed by an inaugural climb to the peak led by regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman accompanied by Tawi-Tawi Governor Rashidin Matba, Bongao Mayor Jimuel Que and other ARMM officials recently.

The preservation and conservation of the eco-tourism park is one of the priority projects of the Hataman administration.

Bongao Peak is one of the 12 key biodiversity sites in the country protected under the Department of Natural Resources’ New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project.

Around 1,500 tourists visit the peak every week with P20 fee collected from each climber is used for the maintenance of the park.

ARMM to build more core shelters for poor

(DWTW/PNA)

SIMUNUL, Tawi-Tawi – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is building in the coming months another 50 core shelters for the poorest of the poor in this island municipality.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman told the Philippine News Agency that there is an ongoing evaluation to determine the exact number of beneficiaries.

The project is under the Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment (BRIDGE) program of ARMM.

Hataman visited on Monday this island town and has turned over 40 core shelters to identified beneficiaries.

The sturdy core houses were built in Barnagay Tubig Indangan, this municipality.

Gov. Rashidin Matba, Department of Public Works and Highways-ARMM (DPWH-ARMM) Sec. Don Mustapha Loong, District Engineer Toni Kamlani and Mayor Ahmad Abdurahamn joined Hataman in the inauguration of the core shelter project.

Abdurahman said the local government donated the land where the core shelters were built in Barangay Tubig Indangan.

The LGU identified the beneficiaries of the program while ARMM’s Social Welfare Department validated the list.

The ARMM-BRIDGE utilizes a modified community-driven development approach following the “Apat na Dapat” program model, which is focused on poverty alleviation by targeting the four most basic needs of the poorest of the poor -- water and sanitation, food, shelter, and light.

This town and the municipalities of Sibutu and Tandubas are the initial target towns of ARMM-BRIDGE project in this province.

The other towns on the BRIDGE list are Balindong, Taraka and Lumba-Bayabao in Lanao del Sur; Barira, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, and Matanog in Maguindanao; Sumisip, Tipo-tipo and Tuburan in Basilan; and Pandami, Parang and Talipao in Sulu.

Hataman said the program aims to alleviate poverty incidence among residents by targeting 600 poor families across the region under the program’s first swing of implementation.

In order to implement these components, a budget of at least PHP204 million is required, according to Hataman.

“The ARMM BRIDGE is a collaboration and complementation effort of the ARMM government and the LGU beneficiaries to combat poverty, especially among the poorest of the poor,” Hataman said.

ARMM-BRIDGE program is a follow up to the ARMM Social Fund Project that ended last year. It complements the Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy program of the regional government.

Aussie-Filipino telco firm pours P3-B investment in Armm

By Bong Garcia (SunStar Philippines)

THE Australian-backed TierOne Communications International, Inc. (TierOne) is pushing through with its P3 billion telecommunication carrier project in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).

Ishak Mastura, Regional Board of Investment (RBOI) chairman and managing head, said on Wednesday, July 5, the original plan of TierOne was to start with a roll-out program in Marawi City.

TierOne had to re-evaluate its business plan due to the ongoing crisis in Marawi City. The company officials said the Marawi roll-out will still be implemented but in coordination with the rehabilitation and reconstruction program of the government.

In the revised plan, the company will first roll-out a pilot program by building facilities in the Office of the Regional Government compound in Cotabato City that would serve the different Armm agencies.

TierOne will eventually cover the entire region with its P3-billion investment noting there remains a provision for expansion and infusion of additional capital as needed.

The company will provide coverage for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services with fast internet service of up to 3,000 kilobytes download speed.

The project will also be harnessing the latest technology like fiber optics and satellite relay with international gateway facility.

Mastura said they earlier approved TierOne’s project that will cover cellular service in 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE and broadband wireless internet to homes and enterprises as well as Wi-Fi for public, or common, areas.

He noted that telecommunications, particularly the internet, is a big enabler for private enterprise and provides many job opportunities.

TierOne is 70 percent owned by Filipinos and 30 percent owned by Australians. It obtained a franchise to operate as a telecommunications service provider from the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Armm a few years back.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman hailed both the RBOI and TierOne for pushing forward the project despite the frustrations and setbacks.

Hataman assured that they will work to make the project a reality since the Regional Telecommunications Commission is directly under the Office of the Regional Governor.

Daily feeding program for Marawi 'bakwits'

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COTABATO CITY, July 5 -– Disaster and health officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) embarked on a daily feeding program for internally displaced persons (IDPs), in partnership with foreign and local aid agencies.

The project, dubbed “Universal Feeding”, will provide nutritious food to IDPs in more than 80 evacuation centers of Marawi displaced families in Iligan City and other Lanao del Sur towns.

Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr., regional secretary of the Department of Health (DOH-ARMM), said health providers from Lanao del Sur Integrated Provincial Health Office workers of the ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (HEART) are tasked to ensure evacuees are getting proper nutrition to save them from the risk of diseases common in crowded and unhealthy condition in evacuation centers.

In most evacuation centers, IDPs get noodles and canned goods as emergency food supplies. But health officials said frequent intake of canned goods, noodles and the like may not provide proper nutrition to the IDPS.

Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, said daily ARMM-HEART and DOH workers have been feeding mothers and children with correct and proper nutrition dubbed as Universal Feeding in partnership with United Nations agencies.

“We provide them with nutritious foods and we will be doing this until the end of the year,” Alamia told a news conference in Cotabato City.

At the end of the year, Alamia said health workers will conduct post nutrition programs, like weighing the children and IDPs, measuring their height to determine if there are health improvement indicators.

The feeding program coincides with the observance of Nutrition Month in July.

Without revealing statistics due to its unavailability as of posting, Sinolinding said diarrhea and respiratory disease are the leading illnesses IDPs are facing.

On Wednesday, in Saguiaran Elementary School evacuation site in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur, DOH-ARMM and ARMM-HEART workers will repack food donations for the IDPs.

Maguindanao starts massive health services

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SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao -- Few days after the fasting month ended, health providers in Maguinadanao have embarked on massive health services to indigent residents of the province, Dr. Tahir Sulaik today said.

Sulaik, Maguindanao provincial health officer and chief of Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), said the provincial health office has started a week-long “Gamutang Pangkalahatan,” a comprehensive medical services to the people of Maguindanao, mostly indigents.

”Anyone can, whether experiencing illnesses or not, are encouraged to visit the provincial hospital to avail of health services for free, of course,” Sulaik told reporters as he led physicians, nurses and other health workers in serving the indigents here.

Aside from consultation, the Gamutang Pangkalahatan also included minor and major surgeries. “Those who would need to undergo major or minor surgical operations are advised to register with their respective rural health unit for referral,” Sulaik said.

He said more than 200 medical staff will be serving an estimated 1,500 patients, both adults and minors, expected to avail during the four-day medical and dental services.

The health providers also focus on prevention of dengue cases with the onset of rainy season where mosquito bites are prevalent.

Sulaik also appealed to residents in communities under flood waters to refrain from staying longer on floods to avoid getting water borne diseases.

Local, foreign NGOs feed Marawi school children

By Edwin O. Fernandez (PNA)

COTABATO CITY, July 2 (PNA) -- Education officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Sunday said Muslim school children displaced by armed hostilities in Marawi City are getting hot meals everyday for more than a week now.

Dr. John Magno, Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM) regional secretary, said the meals are courtesy of local and foreign benefactors, includng a Christian humanitarian group.

"This feeding project is a common initiative of the Gawad Kalinga, the World Food Programme and DepEd-ARMM," Magno said.

Magno said the initiative was meant to keep war-weary children healthy while the continue studies amid bombings and hostilities back home. The DepEd has put up Temporary Learning Spaces (TLS) in public school grounds outside Marawi City.

Magno identified the good samaritans as the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Vision, an international Christian child welfare and protection organization.

The organizations provide for the daily needs of internally displaced children now housed in several TLS in Iligan City and the towns surrounding the embattled Marawi City.

Magno said the regional government is thankful to the local and foreign benefactors for the food aid to distress children who hurriedly fled with their parents when local terrorists allied with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria attacked the city.

As fighting continues and its end invisible at this time, education officials have designed plans so as not to interrupt public school children's schooling.

Magno eyes expansion of the feeding program to cover other pupils in other evacuation centers in Lanao del Sur to accommodate more children.

Ana Zenaida Unte, assistant superintendent of public schools in Marawi City, said the unaccounted public school teachers since the May 23 conflict have been located and reported to their respective stations.

The Marawi City schools division has 1,426 teachers.

Unte lauded the teachers, who are also internally displaced persons whose houses were also damaged by the conflict, for reporting for work despite the difficulties and security concerns.

“The dedication of our teachers is no doubt remain the same amid difficulties, they still care for their respective pupils," Unte said.

Magno also announced that the Philippine Public School Teachers Association (PPSTA) has approved a PHP30,000 cash loan for teachers in Marawi City.

The amount will surely help the beleaguered teachers make both ends meet whil also performing their duties.

Health department assures support for Armm hospitals

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

THE Department of Health (DOH) assured hospitals in Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (Armm) of continuous support amid the crisis in Marawi City.

Health Undersecretary Herminigildo Valle on Friday, June 30, said they have allocated P52 million worth of assistance to all public and private hospitals in Armm since the beginning of the crisis last May 23.

Of the total allocation, P30 million was intended for financial support to the hospitals in the area and the remaining amount was allotted for their material necessities.

Valle, however, said the hospitals still need close monitoring because the situation is complex.

Aside from hospital support, the DOH also assured the people of Armm especially the 300,000 displaced residents in Marawi City that their health needs will be covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Valle said that 50,000 to 70,000 people are temporarily sheltered in 73 evacuation centers, and five of which need more sanitation services.

“We are moving because President Rodrigo Duterte is dedicated to rehabilitate Marawi City," Valle said.

Meanwhile, the DOH official called on everyone to keep supporting the efforts of the government to attain peace, development, and unity.

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