Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao News September 2015

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Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao Archived News

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Seal of ARMM

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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: 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. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

ARMM initiates Youth Peace Day

• Source: http://mindanaoexaminer.com/armm-initiates-youth-peace-day/
• Thursday, September 10, 2015 1:58 pm

(Bureau of Public Information)

COTABATO CITY – Underscoring the importance of the peace process in Mindanao, specifically the passage of a law on genuine Bangsamoro autonomy, the Coordinating and Development Office on Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (CDO-BYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) spearheaded the first Youth Peace Day on Thursday at the Office of the Regional Government compound here.

More than 200 youths from various schools in Maguindanao as well as those in North and South Cotabato and Cotabato City attended the event, which emphasized the youth’s role in achieving peace in Mindanao as well as in nation-building.

A long-lasting peace on the island currently hangs in the balance after a number of legislators in Luzon introduced what Mindanao leaders describe as watered-down version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that would provide a Bangsamoro autonomy.

Among the highlights of the youth peace event was the tour of the participants to the different cultural mock villages located in the compound. The mock villages showcase the culture, tradition and way of living of the six of the major Moro tribes in ARMM namely Maguindanaon, Iranun, Maranao, Yakan. Tausug, and Sama/Bajao, including the Teduray tribe.

Isa Tom Del Monte, CDO-BYA executive director, said the activity is a continuation of the Bangasamoro Youth Hope Conference held from June 2 to 4 this year. Moreover, the activity is in support to the program of the regional government in promoting cultural understanding among the residents of ARMM and its nearby areas.

Saida Mae Aplal, 16, Grade 9 student from J. F. Grino Tacurong National High School, said the activity is an opportunity to gain new friends and to know more the different cultures of the major tribes in the ARMM.

Saidamen Aliodin, 18, Grade 9 student from Abubakar Siddique National High School in Barira, Maguindanao, said he will utilize the activity to gain more knowledge about people in the ARMM and promote peace to his co-participants. The activity bears the theme “Youth: partners for genuine peace and development for the Bangsamoro.”

Maguindanao health office's 'Gamutang Pangkalahatan' serves 12,000 indigents

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=7&rid=802209
• Wednesday, September 9, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 9 (PNA) -- More than 12,000 indigent patients have benefited from the recent four-day "Gamutang Pangkalahatan" of the Maguindanao Integrated Provincial Health Office and Maguindanao provincial hospital in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

Dr. Tahir Sulaik, Maguindanao health chief, said Wednesday the "Gamutang Pangkalahatan" was held simultaneously with the inauguration and official opening of the rehabilitated and refurbished Maguindanao provincial hospital.

He said most of the illnesses treated during the medical services were cough, fever, skin diseases and respiratory diseases.

Sulaik also noted the behavioral change among the indigent patients in Maguindanao. "Before, when they fell ill, they would stay at home and resort to home-based medication," he said.

"But now, with the new and modern health facilities in town, our patients' awareness on health has increased," he told reporters.

"We have upgraded our services," Sulaik said, adding that it now has emergency complex which is comprehensive and the waiting time of patients has been reduced.

Sulaik said the hospital is now open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week and ready to serve its clients, not only from Maguindanao but also from nearby provinces.

He said medical services in the province of Maguindanao recognize no boundaries.

Sulaik said the "Gamutang Pangkalahatan" program will continue to reach out to municipalities in Maguindanao to increase people's awareness about health issues.

Some indigents prefer to stay at home for medication, afraid of expenses if they go to hospitals. "Now, the hospital staff and health providers will go where they are to serve," Sulaik added.

ARMM holds 1st ARB Congress; recognizes successful agrarian beneficiaries

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=11&rid=801762
• Tuesday, September 8, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 8 (PNA) -- Agrarian officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) recognized Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) in the region by highlighting success stories on agrarian reform during the first ever ARB Congress here Tuesday.

The Congress starts today at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here with Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary for Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Herman Ongkiko serving as one of the special guests of the event.

With the theme “Mga kwento ng lupa at agrikultura ay musika ng mapayapa at masagang buhay (Stories of land and agriculture are music of a peaceful and prosperous life),” the congress underscored the accomplishments of the agency headed by DAR-ARMM Regional Secretary, Amihilda Sangcopan.

It also recognized the successful ARBs in the region.

At least 400 ARBs across the region which is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were in attendance.

“Ang highlight ng event na ito ay ang pagpapalabas ng success stories ng ARBs sa ARMM (The success stories of ARBs in the ARMM are the highlights of this event),” Sangcopan told reporters.

Benjamin Querido, Jr. from Wao, Lanao del Sur took center stage as his success story was among those recognized early on the Congress.

Humbly, he said that he earned as much as Php564,000 annually from his corn and sugarcane farm.

His humble beginning started in 1993 after he was awarded with 5.36 hectares of land. Through hard work and determination to succeed after the government granted him source of livelihood, Querido wisely invested on land and slowly made it productive until he managed to buy a tractor and hauler truck.

ARMM has a total of 68,087 ARBs based on the latest record of DAR-ARMM.

Ariel Hernandez, DAR-ARMM entrepreneur consultant, presented a 10-year ARMM Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Beneficiaries Development Plan. The plan, he said, will address the problems, issues and needs of ARBs as identified in conferences conducted in the region’s five provinces.

Sangcopan said with more than P10.6-billion budget, the plan “is a holistic package of support services for beneficiaries such as infrastructure and agri-enterprise development, business development service and the provision of common service facilities, and scholarships for children of ARBs."

Distribution of 11 common service facilities worth more than Php9 million was part of the event.

The service facilities included three units of four-wheel drive tractors, three units of shredders, and five units of hand tractors under the Agrarian Reform Community Connectivity and Economic Support Services, the department’s strategic intervention to retain the awarded lands of the ARBs through production and engagement in agri-based and related enterprises.

Edwin Usman, 45, vice president of Tongehat Ungus-Ungus Cooperative based in Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi received one unit of Kubota hand tractor in behalf of the cooperative.

His cooperative also received a power tiller cultivator on June 15 during the 27th anniversary celebration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program here.

Started in 2010, the Tongehat Ungus-Ungus Cooperative ventured into production of banana, cassava and chili pepper as main agricultural products.

“Malaki ang maitutulong ng mga facilities na ito sa aming cooperative dahil ito talaga ang kailangan namin sa aming pagsasaka (These facilities would help our cooperative a lot since we need these in farming),” Usman said.

ARMM trains key leaders on gender concepts, women's role on cooperativism

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=801334
• Monday, September 7, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept 7 (PNA) -- The Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RCBW-ARMM) is training women middle level workers of local government units and government line agencies on gender and cooperativism.

The series of training sessions on September 7-8 here aims to highlight the role of women in cooperativism and empower them to be more active in local development undertaking, according to RCBW-ARMM planning chief Abderson Antao.

Antao said the training program will cover basic gender and development (GAD) concepts, GAD Focal Point System, gender mainstreaming, and basic gender analysis.

“GAD programs should also be established even in local government units,” added Antao.

The training on women cooperativism is included, which, Antao explained, will “empower women economically.” The region’s Cooperative Development Authority (CDA-ARMM) is giving the inputs on women’s role in the cooperative movement.

Antao said the training sessions are aligned with RCBW’s economic objective dubbed as Women Economic Empowerment and Livelihood Enhancement Program.

The initiative is aimed at enhancing, capacitating and boosting women’s access to employment and livelihood opportunities, and developing entrepreneurial skills.

Just last month, Bangsamoro women in the municipality of Masiu in Lanao del Sur participated in a similar program on cooperatives orientation at the Unda Memorial Agricultural School in Masiu.

In 2015, there are 11 women’s cooperatives registered with the RCBW-ARMM. Women numbering 196 were trained on cooperativism, and 42 were trained on entrepreneurial skills.

“This would boost the support we need from the ground to push forward women and peace agenda in the region,” said Sittie Jehanne Mutin, RCBW-ARMM chairperson.

Maguindanao provincial hospital opens new facilities

• Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2015/09/04/maguindanao-provincial-hospital-opens-new-facilities/
• Sunday, September 6, 2015

By Ferdinandh B. Cabrera (MindaNews)

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao (MindaNews/04 September) — Maguindanao’s Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) on Friday opened its refurbished hospital in Datu Hofer town that boasts of state-of-the-art facilities.

IPHO chief Dr. Tahir Sulaik together with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) officials unveiled the hospital’s new P8.6-million emergency room and other sections that have made it the only level-two hospital in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The construction of new emergency room is part of the second phase of the hospital improvement financed by income from Philhealth contributions.

The other sections include a holding area for cases of highly contagious diseases, intensive care unit, surgery and trauma section that will handle mass casualty incidents and women and child protection unit for abused women and children.

Sulaik said they treat all patients equally and give free medicines to members of Philhealth.

Most of the patients brought to the Maguindanao provincial hospital are poor farmers of Liguasan Marsh and mountainous areas of Maguindanao. Lately, some have come from Lanao del Sur and North Cotabato, he said.

“Because it’s clean here, the service is good, we are comfortable”, according to Kali, a resident of Aleosan, North Cotabato, a guardian of her sister who was confined for kidney disease.

In January this year, the IPHO hospital opened to the public its rehabilitated building and facilities as part of first phase improvement. The rehabilitation cost P30 million.

The provincial hospital has modest beginning in 1974 in Shariff Aguak town with only a 50-bed capacity and small medical staff despite attending to many patients who are mostly poor. Now it can house 150 patients and is handled by 400 personnel, 32 of them doctors.

Philhealth President Alexander Padilla, who attended the inauguration, said he would help the IPHO get into the third phase of the expansion of the hospital next year.

ARMM seeks PHP45-M mitigating budget to cushion El Nino impact

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=800674
• Saturday, September 5, 2015

(PNA), JBP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 5 (PNA) -- Agriculture officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have asked for a PHP-45 million El Nino mitigation fund from the Department of Agriculture central office to cushion the impact of impending drought.

Lawyer Makmod Mending Jr, regional secretary of Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM), said ARMM, composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, are among the 45 provinces in the country expected to suffer the brunt of El Nino phenomenon beginning next month.

“This could result to low rice and corn production,” Mending told reporters. “Our agriculture and fishery sectors are also vulnerable to losses, we are taking steps,” he added.

A monthly forecast summary for the ARMM showed Basilan, Maguindanao and Sulu will experience below normal rainfall during the later part of 2015, Mending said.

Because of this abnormal situation, agriculture officials predict heavy losses for hundreds of hectares of rice fields which are dependent on rainfall.

Mending explained that the proposed el Nino mitigating funds will be used for programs that will lessen the impact of drought, giving farmers alternate livelihood, cloud seeding operations to induce rains, medicine for animals to make them stronger amid excruciating heat and procurement of heat-resistant varieties of agricultural crops to be distributed to affected farmers.

Maguindanao has two major irrigation dams. These are the Kabulnan Irrigation Dam and the Malitubog-Maridagao Irrigation Dam.

“We are closely monitoring the water level of these two dams, if irrigation officials say water is enough then we can advise our farmers to plant,” he said.

He said farmers in Maguindanao had just harvested crops. The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) will update DAF-ARMM on the status of water level of these two dams.

“If they give us go signal to plant because the water volume is still okay, we will recommend to our farmers to plant, if not then we have other mitigating measures,” Mending said in a radio interview.

Mending admitted that his office is putting up plans to help farmers farming about 80,000 hectares that are rainfed.

As part of the preparation against the dry spell, Mending said he directed Field Operations Director Keise Usman to organize a Task Force El Nino to closely monitor the agriculture sector and recommend appropriate actions.

To ensure all areas are covered during the critical period, Mending wanted a twice a week report from the task force “so we can take appropriate action at appropriate time.”

A mild El Nino hit Maguindanao in early part of 2015 during which the province recorded some 14,000 metric tons rice production loss.

According to state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the Philippines is among the worst affected countries in the Asia Pacific region when the phenomenon starts to bring in warm temperature.

Anthony Lucero, PAGASA climate monitoring and prediction chief, said during El Niño, temperature is higher than normal and rainfall is below normal.

A depressing scenario was painted by PAGASA, saying more than half of the country’s 76 provinces will suffer dry spell. It sees a reduced rainfall of 60 to 80 percent.

This year’s El Nino is seen as stronger than the one that hit the country in 1997-98 and will surely affect power generations, especially in Mindanao where hydropower plants provide electricity to the island.

ARMM to fast track P636-M infra projects

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=800628
• Friday, September 4, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 4 (PNA) -- Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) announced Friday that more than Php636 million worth of infrastructure projects “are expected to roll out immediately” following the signing of two memoranda of agreement today, September 4.

ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman, who led the signing of the agreements, said the infrastructure projects “will roll out immediately after a series of simultaneous preparations were conducted.”

At least 100 barangays located in 82 towns across the ARMM will benefit from the 2015 ARMM Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy (HELPS) support infrastructure projects.

ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The ARMM’s Integrated Project Management Office (IPMO) oversees the implementation of the 2015 HELPS projects.

It also serves as the fund manager and lead agency in monitoring and evaluation of district engineering offices to ensure high quality, on-time delivery, and consistency with respect to the program of work.

According to Noor Saada, regional director of IPMO-ARMM, 506 HELPS infrastructure projects will be built, amounting to about Php512 million that includes construction of barangay halls; multi-purpose buildings; children’s parks; barangay health stations; water, waste and sanitation facilities; botika ng barangay; community learning centers; and support to livelihood activities.

“The projects were identified by residents and stakeholders of target communities,” Saada said.

Details of the projects were communicated with partner line agencies to ensure propriety and complementation, to avoid duplication, and to promote synergy.

Saada noted that ARMM HELPS projects in 2013-2014 have a completion rate of about 80 to 90 percent.

Meanwhile, a memorandum of agreement for the concreting of three roads in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur was also signed on Friday between the region’s Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH-ARMM) and three municipal government units.

Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, regional secretary of DPWH-ARMM, said the concreting of three roads is worth Php124 million.

The projects in Maguindanao include the concreting of the four-kilometer Parang-Buldon Road in the towns of Parang and Buldon worth Php72 million and the two-kilometer Macabiso-Namuken Taraken Road in Sultan Mastura worth Php40 million.

The one-kilometer, Php12-million, Tubok Municipal Road in Tamparen, Lanao del Sur will also be built.

The regional government has chosen the three towns as partners in the implementation for their capability to undertake such infrastructure projects.

“These projects are part of the continuing legacy of the reform agenda of Governor Mujiv Hataman and DPWH-ARMM to close the gap in terms of unpaved national, provincial and municipal roads in the ARMM,” Loong told reporters after the signing program.

ARMM officials plant bamboo trees in Mamasapano to prevent floods, soil erosion

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=8&rid=800044
• Thursday, September 3, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 3 (PNA) -- Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Thursday planted bamboo trees at the riverbank of Mamasapano river in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in an effort to prevent frequent soil erosion and floods, officials said.

Hundreds of officials and employees, including youth, civil society organizations, police and soldiers planted more than 500 trees along the historic riverbank where 44 elite police officers, 17 Moro rebels and three civilians were killed in gun battle in January this year.

The ARMM Regional Planning and Development Office (RPDO-ARMM) spearheaded the activity in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-ARMM).

“Bamboo is a good soil conservation plant. With its widespread root system, it can provide an effective erosion control. It sustains riverbanks and serves as good windbreaks,” Domingo Dagadas of DENR-ARMM said in a statement after the activity.

Engr. Baintan Adil-Ampatuan, RPDO-ARMM executive director, said the activity also highlighted the value of volunteerism in the community in protecting the environment.

Mamasapano is one of the low-lying areas in Maguindanao that sits beside the Liguasan marshland.

The bamboo planting activity was one of the flagship projects identified under the ARMM-Humanitarian Development Action Plan (ARMM-HDAP) for 2015-2016.

Environment officials said bamboo is the most effective plant in holding soil along creeks and riverbanks, thus preventing erosion.

The ARMM-HDAP aims to establish a systematic and coordinated approach in addressing and mitigating the effects of disasters and calamities.

Part of the plan is bamboo planting in the fifteen (15) municipalities in Maguindanao that were affected by the law enforcement operations against the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) last January.

According to Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, the overall goal of the ARMM-HDAP is “to help improve the living condition of the communities affected by calamities and build resilient and empowered communities in a secured environment.”

"We are happy and thankful because the ARMM government took care of us,” Esmael Hasim, chairman of Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano said.

"We thought, we will never recover after the tragic incident on January but we became more hopeful because of the continuous assistance to us,” Hasim added.

Bamboo tree planting was one of the intervention the ARMM government has done in Barangay Tukanalipao on top of the construction of a concrete foot bridge and a Mosque.

ARMM education execs mull extension of new education approach

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=799616
• Wednesday, September 2, 2015

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 2 (PNA) -- In addressing the poor academic performance in basic education in the region, Education officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are considering the sustainability of the alternative delivery model (ADM) as a new approach.

According to Marjuni Maddi, assistant secretary for academics of Department of Educsation in ARMM, said the region is “considering the continuation of ADM in ARMM communities after the program ends in 2017.”

To realize that, consultations with stakeholders and reviewing the policies of the DepEd central office would be conducted before ADM is extended beyond the program’s original duration.

“We need to consider the readiness of ARMM and the DepEd central office’s policies to sustain ADM as a program,” Maddi said.

The ADM is a component of the Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao that aims at supporting the ongoing efforts of the Philippine government to address long-term education issues in ARMM.

Implemented by BRAC Philippines, the program established learning centers in poor, conflict-affected, and disadvantaged communities in ARMM to give out-of-school children access to basic education.

It provides catch-up opportunities for the young children in remote and deprived communities of the region where regular public education is not easily accessible.

It was first implemented in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and has since already been built 1,220 learning centers across ARMM including seven floating centers in coastal areas in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

These learning centers have benefited 38,084 students from kindergarten to grades 1 to 3.

According to Maddi, the learning achievements of students in ADM centers showed parallel performances with those in public schools. The idea was reinforced during the national research forum on ADM conducted on September 1 in Makati City.

The forum was aimed at sharing the initial findings of three studies conducted by the University of the Philippines Los Banos Foundation, Inc., University of Melbourne, and University of Southeastern Philippines on the ADM-BRAC learning centers in ARMM.

The studies showed that the BRAC learning centers significantly contributed to the increasing access to basic education; students in public schools and in BRAC learning centers show parallel performance in academic achievements.

It also showed that BRAC learning centers have generally prepared their learners to a satisfactory level of readiness for the next grade level.

Almost 70 officials from DepEd-ARMM, Australian and Bangladeshi embassies, and representatives from BRAC Philippines, Australian Aid, the academe and various international nongovernmental organizations working for education in ARMM attended the event.

Elvin Ivan Yu, DepEd central office assistant secretary for programs and projects, admitted that despite the intensified and aggressive educational reform programs in the country, a lot has to be done.

“As we continue to improve the basic education system in the Philippines, there are learners who are still marginalized by the system,” Yu said.

“We will keep on engaging the sectors from the academe, local governments, development sectors, and partners to see how we can further refine this model and really come up with innovative and sustainable solutions that can serve our communities better in the coming years,” Yu added.

DAR-ARMM strengthens project implementation partnerships to benefit ARBs

• Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1661441092245/dar-armm-strengthens-project-implementation-partnerships-to-benefit-arbs-
• Tuesday, September 1, 2015

(IEroy/PBChangco-PIA Cotabato City)

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 1 (PIA) –A number of municipal agrarian reform officers (MAROs) in the province of Maguindanao and partner line agencies attended the 3rd Regular Meeting of the Provincial CARP Implementation Team (PCIT), Thursday, August 27 in this city.

Out of the five component provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), only Maguindanao has its own PCIT.

The PCIT aims to sustain and strengthen the strong partnership between agrarian reform officers and other agencies to help address the land problems and challenges facing agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in the said province.

According to ARMM’s agrarian reform sec. Amihilda Sangcopan, the agency is undertaking social preparations in the areas covered by humanitarian development action plan (HDAP) for 2015.

“We requested Php 120 million for the implementation of the said project in Maguindanao. It would benefit the 11 municipalities and 10 ARCs and it is funded under PAMANA funds,” Sangcopan said.

“I believed that HDAP project is the holistic package that we could deliver to them,” Sangcopan added.

The HDAP project covers the provision of common service facilities such as scholarship for children of ARBs that would take courses of BS Agriculture, BS Agro-Economics/Agro-Business, Agro-Forestry and Agricultural Engineering; and provision of social infrastructure, she said.

Sangcopan emphasized, every province in the autonomous region is promising in terms of agrarian reforms and Maguindanao really has a promising land for all the residents urging each and every personnel to continue working hand in hand for the betterment of the province and the ARMM as a whole.

The official issued a directive to all other provincial agrarian reform officers (PAROs) to create their own PCIT to assist the beneficiaries in their respective provinces to help achieve government’s goal of improving quality of life among farmers through the agrarian reform program.

Meanwhile, Maguindanao’s PARO Hadja Bai Cabayan Bacar said they will turn-over on September 11 the completed 6-km concrete road in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao for the easy transport of the agricultural products of agrarian reform beneficiaries to trading centers.

“The World Bank also signified their interest to be our partner for the balot and salted egg project in Kabuntalan – this will give extra income to our beneficiaries,” she added.

The DAR-ARMM is set to conduct the 1st Regional ARB Congress here on September 9, 2015.