Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao News January 2015

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Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao Archived News
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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:
  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.

Basilan govt, school officials gain know-how on organic farming

(ARMM-Bureau of Public Information)

DAVAO CITY– A group of local government and school officials from Basilan province went on an educational tour to ACES Natural Farming Institute (ACES-NFI) in Panabo City this week to learn about organic and sustainable agriculture.

The tour was organized by the Department of Education-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) and included 31 barangay captains and 23 school principals from Basilan’s Tuburan district.

Lawyer Jamar Kulayan, ARMM education secretary, said it is part of their effort to expand vegetable gardening in schools and communities in the region under the Gulayan sa Paaralan program.

The program is also being supported by ARMM’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).

“We want to encourage local leaders and school officials to support organic farming and vegetable gardening. We want them to work hand in hand in transforming idle lands into productive vegetable gardens,” he said.

Kulayan said Gulayan sa Paaralan helps address food security and malnutrition, consistent to the initiatives being promoted by the administration of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

He added that participants in the educational tour can now help introduce cost-effective and sustainable farming methods in their communities.

Organic farming involves the use of techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control.

Bangsamoro 'design' may be dysfunctional -- Gibo Teodoro

By Coco Alcuaz (ANC)

MANILA - Former presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro says it will be a challenge to make the Bangsamoro work because its parts are spread out, and that autonomy should be tried in richer areas first.

"I believe the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is functionally dysfunctional. Why? Because they are geographically separate," the former defense secretary said. "The Sulu, Basilan area is so far away from the Cotabato area, people have to go to Manila first before they go to Cotabato. And they are culturally distinct: Central Mindanao and Tausugs and Yakans. So probably the design could do with a lot of thinking."

Teodoro was responding to a question at a Security Bank event in Makati. He was speaking days after 44 members of the police Special Action Force and a smaller but still undetermined number of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members and civilians were killed in a clash in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, part of the existing ARMM, which will be replaced by a stronger Bangsamoro according to a peace agreement signed last year.

"We can't tolerate any disruption of peace and order in the area," he said. "If not, it goes to waste once again."

Teodoro said autonomy for some parts of the country would benefit both the national government and those areas.

"We have to transform the government most importantly by decentralisation and devolution," Teodoro said. "The central government cannot continue to act as default, as guardians for the regions, and the central government cannot be a brake on the regions and what they can achieve."

"I think a similar law should be passed first and foremost in regions where they are more capable," according to Teodoro. Autonomy would have a better chance, he said, "in Cebu or Central Luzon where they are more capable, where they have infrastructure, they have sources of revenue, they are capable of managing their affairs better."

"What is important for me in that law is that there is 80-20 sharing of resources from that area," he said. "80 is retained by the region. Can you imagine if that is done in regions that are more robust?"

Teodoro, who placed No. 4 in the 2010 presidential election, said this might allow cities like Davao to build its own commuter rail before it becomes more expensive. He said this might free the national government to help public school teachers improve their skills, or incentivize government employees or invest in their training.

"The lack of human capital motivation in the government is a big problem," he said.

"The national government will never improve if they are too busy dealing with local concerns," Teodoro said. "There is no national prescription for a lot of Philippine problems because simply put, we are an archipelago."

DepEd-ARMM replicates 'best practices' of Saranggani province to improve NAT results

(PNA), LAP/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 29 (PNA) -- The town of Malungon in Saranggani province is now the apple of the eye of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) because of its best practices in terms of education, officials said today.

Because of this, DepEd-ARMM brought three town mayors, 31 barangay (village) chairpersons and 23 school principals from Basilan province on an educational tour to Malungon town, Sarangani province to learn from the example set by local government and school officials on improving the academic performance of students.

Lawyer Jamar Kulayan, DepEd-ARMM regional secretary, said his office want to replicate the best practices that have been implemented by officials in Malungon.

The students in the municipality have consistently topped in the National Achievement Test (NAT) in Region 12 for two consecutive years.

Kulayan said the performance of students in Malungon has improved after school officials started working with local officials and community leaders in addressing problems on education.

In Barangay Malandag, one of the communities visited by the delegation from ARMM, community leaders help repair classrooms, acquire additional learning materials and build access roads to schools, allotting funds from the barangay’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) for the purpose.

They also sought the help of local businesses in the area to support the initiative.

Kulayan said the collaboration between officials and community leaders in Malungon is very laudable and innovative.

Aside from replicating the model set by Malungon, DepEd-ARMM will also be expanding the implementation of the Dynamic Learning Program (DLP), an innovative teaching method, in the region to sustain the improvement in the performance and competence of students.

Kulayan said the teachers, all coming from Basilan, are expected to replicate the practice within the remaining school days and see if it will help improve the National achievement test.

He is considering applying the best practices in other schools in the region composed of the provinces of Maugindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

President Aquino still hopeful for peace in Mindanao after Mamasapano incident

By Joann Santiago [(PNA), LAP/JS]

MANILA, Jan. 28 (PNA) -- President Benigno Aquino III is hopeful that amidst the issues surrounding the Mamasapano incident, the goals of the Mindanao peace process will still be achieved.

In a televised speech Wednesday night, the President said the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) “have already made such great strides because we trusted one another.”

“We have proven that we can work together,” he said, citing the coordination between the two in 2004 when a kidnapped Japanese national was rescued in Maguindanao and a bomb explosion was prevented in the same province on the same year.

He is also “hopeful that the MILF will show, in the soonest possible time, even more concrete evidence of their solidarity in the pursuit of peace, towards the pursuit of truth, and the accountability of those responsible.”

This, after MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim released a statement saying they have formed a Special Investigative Commission on the incident.

Aquino said establishment of the said Commission “constitutes a good first step.”

He said any moves to prevent the eventual passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) should not be welcomed because “we have already come such a long way in our quest to realize the peace that we have long desired for Muslim Mindanao. All sides exhibited great trust to reach this point.”

”The success of the entire peace process is contingent on this law. If this law is kept from being passed at the soonest possible time, the peace process will be derailed; the status quo will remain. If that happens, we cannot hope for anything but the same results: Citizens who take to the mountains after losing hope; individuals kept from gaining justice who instead choose to exact violence on their fellowmen,” he said.

Representatives of the government and the MILF signed in March 2014 the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and submitted a draft BBL to Congress last September.

The agreement is aimed at providing political stability and economic growth in what is currently called the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), but will be called Autonomous Government of Bangsamoro once the new political entity is put in place in 2016.

Under the agreement, the government and the MILF will have to share the revenues from the resource-rich region as well as on governmental power in the area.

Asked by reporters on whether he still believes on the sincerity of the MILF, President Aquino said there have been several instances when the MILF cooperated with the government’s law enforcement operations.

He said both sides of the peace panel have their respective goal posts or milestones that they compared when they were formulating the framework agreement.

He said more are being done and the MILF decision to form a Commission to look into the incident is a plus in determining what really happened.

”And we can expect that there will be that much more cooperation from them when we file the appropriate charges, once we have developed the necessary evidence,” he added.

ARMM to mark World Hijab Day with symbolic walk of women in hijab in Marawi City

(Bureau of Public Information-ARMM/PIA-10)

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Jan. 27 (PIA) --- At least 1,000 women wearing hijab will walk the streets of Marawi City this Sunday, February 1, to mark the celebration of the 2015 World Hijab Day in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The event is being organized by ARMM’s Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW) to amplify the message of religious tolerance and understanding.

Sittie Jehanne Mutin, RCBW regional chairperson, said they expect women from all sectors to join the celebration and help “draw attention to the need for women to participate in the political and economic development of Bangsamoro.”

She said participants will come from different parts of the region, regardless of religion and social standing.

Hijab refers to the veil and the dress that covers the entire body that most Muslim women wear.

Mutin said this year’s celebration will carry the theme Hijab WALK (Women’s Access to Livelihood ay Karapatan), which is aimed at emphasizing women’s important role in society and promoting their right to decent livelihood, development, justice and empowerment.

Last year, ARMM marked the World Hijab Day celebration with the participation of more than 500 women in hijab in a fun run.

Espina orders PNP units in Maguindanao to contain situation

By Priam F. Nepomuceno [(PNA), LGI/PFN]

MANILA, Jan. 25 (PNA) -- With members of the Special Action Force and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) now disengaging after a fierce battle in Mamasapano, Maguindanao Sunday, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo A. Espina has ordered all police commanders in the area to do everything they can to contain the situation.

"I have instructed police commanders in the area to make available all support systems to contain the situation and mitigate the effects on civilian communities in the area," he said.

Reports claimed that the fighting between the MILF and PNP-SAF has resulted in 27 to 30 casualties, with wounding of many others.

Espina said operational information from the field are still sketchy at the moment.

"But what we know so far is that there is an ongoing operation in the area against a high-value target believed to be behind the recent spate of bombings in Central Mindanao," he stressed.

Espina said that priority concern at the moment is the medical evacuation and treatment of the wounded and extraction of the casualties from the battle zone.

"As I speak, an operational assessment is being undertaken in coordination with the military to determine possible courses of action," he disclosed.

"I extend my deepest sympathy to the orphaned families of our fallen policemen. They died a meaningful death on the side of justice and righteousness. They did not die in vain," Espina stressed, adding that justice and peace will prevail.

Hundreds of families benefit from ARMM seed dispersal project

By John Unson (philstar.com)

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Hundreds of Teduray families have benefited from the continuing corn and vegetable seeds dispersal project of the agriculture department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Khadiguia Rakman-Abdullah, a senior information and communications staff of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) in the autonomous region, on Saturday said their regional secretary, Makmod Mending Jr., personally led the distribution last Wednesday of the seeds to Teduray peasants in Barangay Limpongo in Datu Hofer, Maguindanao.

Barangay Limpongo is located at the hinterland tri-boundary of Maguindanao’s Datu Hofer, Shariff Aguak, and South Upi towns, a centuries-old tribal settlement of non-Muslim Teduray highland people, whose main source of income is farming.

The seed distribution initiative was part of the DAF-ARMM’s “Armas laban sa Kahirapan” thrust, which is focused on the delivery of agricultural services directly to beneficiary-communities in far-flung areas of the autonomous region.

Abdullah said Mending, speaking on behalf of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, had promised the Teduray farmers an engine-driven corn shelling machine in the next tranche of agricultural inputs intended for Barangay Limpongo.

The DAF-ARMM has actively been helping extend technical interventions to Teduray communities in Maguindanao to improve their productivity and ensure abundance of food in their homes.

Comelec: 6 months needed to prepare for Bangsamoro plebiscite

By AMITA LEGASPI (RSJ, GMA News)

If Congress would be able to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law in March, the plebiscite could be held six months after or in October, the Commission on Elections said Friday.

Elections Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said they would be needing six months to prepare for the plebiscite and three months of that would be taken up by conducting bidding activities.

“We see, at the earliest possible time, the holding of the plebiscite will be in October of 2015. We will need six months to prepare for the Bangsamoro elections,” Lim told the Senate committee on local government when asked by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the timeline for BBL.

He added that adjacent barangays should also be given time to file petition to join the plebiscite.

“There is also a provision in the bill that allows the adjacent barangays to join in so you have to give a time allowance for them to submit their petitions to be included in the Bangsamoro territory,” Lim said, adding that the Comelec needs to be given enough time also to resolve the petitions.

Once enacted, the BBL will be subjected to a plebiscite covering the existing geographical area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM): the six municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Pantar, Nunungan, Tagaloan and Tangkal in Lanao del Norte; 39 villages in North Cotabato; and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela.

The deal also states that adjacent areas can choose to form part of Bangsamoro’s territory via a resolution from their local governments, or a petition of at least 10 percent of all qualified voters in the area submitted two months before the ratification of the law creating the new political entity.

Lim said they could start preparing for the plebiscite as soon as the bill is approved by the Senate and House of Representatives.

“We will start preparing the allocation, to allocate how many of the supplies we are going to need,” he said.

The poll official noted that the plebiscite can be held later than October but it should not go beyond January when the election period begins.

“We can hold elections up to the last day before the election period for 2016 begins, that should be before January 9,” Lim said.

The BBL stemmed from the peace agreement signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March last year. The agreement called for the establishment of the new Bangsamoro political entity to replace the ARMM.

The draft BBL will provide the framework for the establishment of the new Bangsamoro entity and contains provisions on its basic structure of government, its head, rights of the people, justice system, public order and safety, fiscal autonomy, economy and patrimony, among others.

President Benigno Aquino III personally submitted the draft Bangsamoro law to Congress leaders in September 2014, a rare show show of support for a piece of legislation as usually bills emanate from the lawmakers.

DepEd-ARMM to expand innovative teaching method

(PNA), RMA/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 22 (PNA) -- In its efforts to improve the performance of high school students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM) will expand the implementation of an innovative teaching method.

The Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) is a cost effective teaching method where 70 percent of class time is utilized for student-driven activities and 30 percent on reinforcement lecture.

It was developed by spouses Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido, 2010 Ramon Magsaysay awardees and renowned physicists, respectively.

Lawyer Jamar Kulayan, DepEd-ARMM regional secretary, said the program uses a “parallel class scheme” in which two simultaneous classes are handled by one expert teacher with the help of facilitators.

“We have piloted DLP in the province of Basilan, and based on assessment, the results are encouraging," Kulayan said in a statement released by ARMM Bureau of Public Information.

“We are formulating plans to expand the program in the other provinces by next school year,” he said.

A three-day training on DLP will be conducted in Basilan starting today until January 24 to expand the concept not only in Physics but also in Science, English and Filipino subjects as well.

Kulayan said DLP was instrumental in the 14 percent increase in the 2014 average result of the National Achievement Test (NAT) of secondary students in Basilan, which was twice the 7 percent target for the year.

He said the students displayed more creativity, improved handwriting and critical thinking skills, and were more motivated to learn.

“There was less absenteeism,” he said.

He said it also helped them address shortage in textbooks since students made use of activity sheets instead of textbooks.

The expansion of DLP in ARMM is geared towards the region’s thrust of producing multi-literate learners through quality education.

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

ARMM to host DepEd nat'l execom meeting in Tawi-Tawi

(PNA), LGI/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 21 (PNA) -- To prove the region is capable of hosting national event, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will host the annual national management committee meeting of the Department of Education (DepEd) this February in the town of Bongao in Tawi-Tawi province, officials said Wednesday.

ARMM Education Secretary Jamar Kulayan said this would be the first time for the region to host DepEd’s national management committee meeting.

He said it shows the support and importance that the national leadership places in ARMM especially in improving education and literacy in the region.

It can be recalled that Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro marked the opening of classes for school year 2014-2015 by leading the annual Brigada Eskwela in a school in Maguindanao, another component province of ARMM.

The meeting scheduled on February 23 will draw together key officials of the department including Secretary Luistro and the directors from other regional offices, according to Kulayan.

He said matters related to the government’s existing programs and policies on education will be tackled.

The event also presents the working government of ARMM the opportunity to showcase its accomplishments in the area of education which include the elimination of ghost employees and students, enforcement of a transparent and competitive hiring process for teachers and the introduction of innovative programs that bring basic education to children in hard to reach communities.

Results of the latest National Achievement Test (NAT) indicate an improvement in the performance of elementary and high school students in ARMM.

Mubarak Pandi, DepEd-ARMM information officer, said preparations are now underway for the management committee meeting.

He said they’re also hoping to bring to the attention of national officials the education needs of the region.

ARMM agri office submits 2014 performance evaluation, plans for 2015

(PNA), LGI/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 20 (PNA) -- Three officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have submitted their respective offices' performance evaluation in 2014 and plans for 2015 to the region's Oplan Governor's Initiative for System Assessment (GISA).

Oplan GISA is a strategy of ARMM Gov. Mujiv S. Hataman to put into scrutiny every department and bureau heads on how they performed last year and what they can still do this year to improve government services.

Hataman led the panel of Oplan GISA together with Executive Secretary Atty. Laisa Masuhud-Alamia; Cabinet Secretary Norkhalila Gampong-Mambuay; Assistant Secretary Numieru Jalani; ASec Irene Tillah; ASec Aminodin Ali; ASec Haffizula Abdullah, the focal persons for Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao for the three heads, the first batch who underwent scrutiny.

Among those who presented evaluation and plans for this year was lawyer Macmod Mending Jr., Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM) regional secretary.

He presented how the DA performed its mandates by clicking to www.daf.armm.gov.ph where the e-farm which contained the uploaded geo-tagged programs of the department where the secondary data on agricultural profile can be found.

The website also highlights news updates and other relevant information.

The DA regional chief also presented the financial utilization of funds of Agri-Pinoy banner programs and the 2015 plans and challenges which include the implementation of Philippine Rice Information System and the Rice Crop Manager under the Research and Development sector; the "agriprenuer" program under the agribusiness and marketing assistance division; and the "armas laban sa kahirapan," an agriculture mobile service program under the administration of Governor Hataman.

Other reports of the Secretary are the 2014 accomplishment of the five provinces and the region’s communication plan.

On the day DAF-ARMM submitted its accomplishments reports to the office of Gov. Hataman, Mending led the distribution of agricultural assistance to farmers in Maguindanao.

About 100 sacks of corn seeds and post-harvest facilities were turned over to farmers in Barangay Limpongo, Datu Hofer, Maguindanao Monday morning.

Mending said the distribution was part of the mitigating steps ahead of the expected coming of drought.

Mending hoped the agricultural assistance could help the farmers affected by climate change to rise up and move on.

Leaders of the other agencies reported yesterday are Department of Education and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Hataman urges ARMM governors to help in BBL passage

(PNA), RMA/LILIAN C. MELLEJOR/LDP

DAVAO CITY, Jan. 19 (PNA) -- As House of Representatives Ad Hoc committee resume the hearing on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman on Monday called on local government officials to support the crafting and passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law by providing helpful inputs during the congressional hearing scheduled Tuesday, Jan. 20 at the House of Representatives, Batasan Complex, Quezon City.

“Let us help our lawmakers pass a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is truly responsive and reflective of the needs and aspirations of the Bangsamoro people,” Hataman said.

Earlier in Davao City, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) panel chair, Mohagher Iqbal appealed for the endorsement from the local chief executives. “I really hope for the resounding endorsement. I hope for the best,” Iqbal told the members of the media.

In a press statement, Hataman said the conduct of the public hearing on Tuesday is timely, coming at the heels of Pope Francis' blessing to the Mindanao peace process.

The Ad Hoc Committee on BBL, headed by Cagayan de Oro second district Representative Rufus Rodriguez, had earlier announced it would conduct hearing with local government officials. This will be followed by another hearing involving other armed groups to include the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the BIFF.

“I also join our Bangsamoro people’s renewed enthusiasm and hope for peace and the immediate passage of the BBL in Congress with the special attention given by Pope Francis to the peace efforts here,” Hataman said.

The regional governor had cited the statement of support to the BBL expressed by the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution last week “that public conversation should not be about semantics but about people -– their needs, their aspirations, their choices -- and about empowering them with the environment and institutional framework for social justice.”

“Their statement really captures the essence of lawmaking, asking our people to decide what is good for them and capturing what they articulated,” Hataman said.

He also lauded the broad public consultations of lawmakers under the leadership of Rodriguez because “building a consensus among the people is very important in drafting a law that is reflective of what is good for them and the country.”

“Things are really looking up for the Bangsamoro people,” Hataman said, reiterating the reforms his administration is continuously working on prior to the establishment of the Bangsamoro.

Pope’s message on peace a “clarion call” to work harder; memorable for MILF, Muslims

By Carolyn O. Arguillas (MindaNews)

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews) – Pope Francis’ message on the Bangsamoro peace process is “a clarion call” to everyone to work even harder, “collectively harnessing the power of hope and perseverance, to overcome all obstacles and push national consensus towards a just and peaceful settlement of the armed conflict that has divided our people for too long,” Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles said.

Deles said the Bangsamoro peace process is “again newly-blessed” with the words of Pope Francis. She declined to answer MindaNews’ query why President Aquino said nothing about the peace process at the reception for Pope Francis in Malacanang on Friday morning.

Pope Francis, on the other hand, ended his speech by saying, “I express my trust that the progress made in bringing peace to the south of the country will result in just solutions in accord with the nation’s founding principles and respectful of the inalienable rights of all, including the indigenous peoples and religious minorities.”

Deles said the Pope’s words of encouragement and blessing, which came just a few days after 14 of 18 surviving members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) that drafted the 1987 Constitution issued a statement of support for the Bangsamoro, came “at a critical time as Congress enters the final, difficult stages of deliberation of the proposed Bangsamoro basic law.”

The framers of the Constitution declared in a statement dated January 9 but released on January 12 that “Bangsamoro is about the development of people, not about the constitutionality of words,” and that “reason tells us that a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region can close the centuries- old gap between law and justice and that we are on the cusp of a historic opportunity to make it happen.”

“We ask for continuing papal prayer, blessing, and hope as we continue to strengthen dialogue and forge partnerships towards a peace where no one will be left behind,” Deles said.

MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said the Pope’s message on the peace process “would be long remembered by the MILF in particular and the Bangsamoro people in general.”

For MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal, the Pope’s visit “is a journey with many good meanings.”

“We Muslims also greet him with all sincerity and hope that his blessing of the peace process reverberates in the hears and minds of everyone, paving the way for the resolution of the Moro Question in Mindanao,” Iqbal said.

Patricia Sarenas, chair of the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGOs (Mincode) and the nationwide Coalition of Development NGOs (CODE-NGOs) said of the Pope’s message: “We should see Pope Francis’ words as a challenge to stand up unafraid to speak for truth, justice and peace, to raise our voices and demand an end to all the conflicts in Mindanao that have resulted in senseless loss of lives and properties and have created a world of anger and violence for us and our children. This is a challenge for every one concerned to fast track the work for the establishment of the Bangsamoro. And as well, for us to do something about the many issues that confront us today – pernicious and dehumanizing poverty, rampant corruption, weak and irresponsive and irresponsible governance, degraded environment, violence of all forms.”

Fr. Eliseo Mercado, Jr., OMI former President of the Notre Dame University and head of the Independent Fact-Finding Mission in the early days of the GPH-MILF peace negotiations until the Estrada administration’s “all-out war” against the MILF in 2000, said of the Pope’s message; “I fully agree.. and we really work for just solutions that include ALL .. particularly the IPs (Indigenous Peoples) and religious minorities…..!”

Lawyer Benedicto Bacani, founding director of the Cotabato City-based Institute for Autonomy and Governance said the Pope’s message is a “big boost to the Mindanoa peace process but we must note that the Pope envisions a peace process that is inclusive and with due regard to the inalienable rights of IPs and the Christian minority (in the Bangsamoro area).

Mary Ann Arnado of the Mindanao Peoples Caucus is disappointed with the President’s silence on the peace process.

“It’s disappointing that PNoy did not mention anything on peace and the Bagnsamoro in his speech. That could have been the opportunity for government to rally the support of the highly influential Catholic Church,” she said, adding she is grateful Pope Francis talked about the peace process.

Aveen Acuna-Gulo of the IPDev, a group that works with indigenous peoples in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the core territory of the future Bangsamoro, said she is “happy to hear (Pope Francis) mention IPs in the context of the peace process.”

Sister Maria Arnold Noel, SPPS of the Mindanao Solidarity Network in Manila, said she was happy that at least the Pope mentioned Peace in Mindanao.”

“Let’s listen to the interfaith on January 18,” she said. The Pope is scheduled to meet with leaders from other faiths on January 18 at the University of Sto. Tomas, prior to the Pope’s meeting with the youth.

New ARMM program up to address governance, community development

By Noel Punzalan and Edwin Fernandez (LAP/NYP/EOF)

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 17 (PNA) -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched a new government program on Thursday to help strengthen local governance and empower communities in the region.

The Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment (ARMM-BRIDGE) program is a follow up to the ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP), which ended last year, and complements the existing Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy (HELPS) program of the regional government.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the program was patterned after the National Community Driven Development Program (NCDDP) of the government. NCDDP covers 851 municipalities nationwide.

However, it does not include ARMM. In concurrence with the region’s unique culture and governance system, the Autonomous Regional Government requested the national government to implement a similar program in the region.

Hataman said ARMM-BRIDGE was conceptualized last year and will begin its initiatory phase this month.

He said it will initially cover this year 45 barangays in 15 target municipalities in the five component provinces of the region, with a budget of Php120 million, but will eventually include other municipalities.

Targets include the municipalities of Balindong, Taraka and Lumba-Bayabao in Lanao del Sur province; Barira, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, and Matanog in Maguindanao province; Sumisip, Tipo-tipo and Tuburan in Basilan province; Pandami, Parang and Talipao in Sulu province; and Sibutu, Simunul and Tandubas in Tawi-Tawi province.

A budget of Php22 billion is needed to realize the full-blown implementation of the program.

Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the program aims to improve “local governance and strengthen partnership between and within the target communities.”

She said the MDP and performance of the mayors and key stakeholders of target municipalities will be reviewed and assessed before they can fully qualify.

She said the composition of the erstwhile project management office of ASFP has been tasked to handle the initial stage of the program, which includes training and capacity-building and technical assistance on the preparation of Municipal Development Plan (MDP).

Alamia said the project was also part of the ARMM's efforts to put the region "in good state" before the coming of new Bangsamoro government as a result of the government peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

ARMM to draw in more than Php1-B investments in 2015

(PNA), FFC/NYP

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 16 (PNA) -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is bullish on drawing over Php1-billion worth of investments for the region this year.

Ishak Mastura, chair and managing head of the ARMM’s Regional Board of Investments (RBOI), said the increasing trend in investment in the region is attributable to the favorable outcome of the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“The peace process sends the positive message that we are on the mend; that we are on (our way) towards stability that will allow investments to be sustained,” he said.

Oil depot, mining, biomass power generation, and agriculture related products such as banana, oil palm products and buckwheat plantations are the major investments expected to come into the region this 2015, mostly coming from local business players.

Also, Mastura said that the good governance manifested by the working government of ARMM is another reason why the region ARMM became “investor-friendly.”

ARMM, according to him, is now proactive in marketing the region and catering to the needs of prospective investors.

Mastura is optimistic that the region’s transition to the much-anticipated Bangsamoro political entity would serve as gateway to more investors in the future.

ARMM launches Php170-M BRIDGE project

By Noel Y. Punzalan (PNA), FFC/NYP

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 15 (PNA) -- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched here Thursday the Php170-million Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment (BRIDGE) project to further enhance governance and capabilities of remote communities in the region.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, who presided over the launching of the project, said the pilot initiative would benefit 15 municipalities in the region’s component provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Basilan and Lanao del Sur.

“Three towns from each province would initially benefit from the project, with each town focusing on three depressed villages necessitating basic government services,” Hataman told reporters here in a short press briefing following the project presentation.

The governor said the project would be monitored and delivered by trained personnel of the completed ARMM Social Fund Project, which ended last year after over a decade partnership with the Japan government through its Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“There is no duplication between the BRIDGE and Social Fund projects because the former would focus in assisting the local government units, whereas the latter concentrated on community-driven programs for villages,” Abba Kuaman, erstwhile Social Fund head-cum-BRIDGE officer-in-charge, said.

The BRIDGE project has an allocation of Php120-million with an added budget of Php20-M saved by the regional government during the Social Fund implementation.

Kuaman further said that communities in target simply empower them to achieve improved access to services and to participate in more inclusive local planning, budgeting and implementation.

Hataman said the BRIDGE project would be included in the transition of the old ARMM set-up to the much-anticipated Bangsamoro entity slated for deliberation before Congress this year.

Cotabato CPOC sets 1st meeting for 2015

(PNA), LGI/NYP

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 14 (PNA) -- The City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) here is set to convene on Jan. 15 to assess the various problems confronted by the locality the past year and implement firmer security solutions for Cotabateños.

Mayor Japal Guiani Jr., concurrent CPOC chair, has set the meeting to take place at the city hall conference room with civic, military and police officials expected to come up with updated reports on the trend on crimes occurring in the city.

Only last Sunday, the city was rocked by a blast, which occurred at Barangay Rosary Heights 7 here.

“Fortunately, the explosion that was caused by a homemade bomb hurt no one,” Guiani said.

The mayor said the CPOC is also posed to tackle the problem on drugs and loose firearms in the city.

This developed as Guiani assured Cotabateños of sobriety over a seemingly brewing tension between their family and that of the Mangudadatus in Maguindanao.

The tension came about following the inclusion of Guiani’s sister, City Administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, to the latest list of additional respondents to the infamous 1996 Maguindanao Massacre Case filed by the victims’ families that included Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu before the court.

“The accusations against my sister (Sayadi) are all fabricated. This is because the 2016 election is fast approaching,” Guiani said.

Sayadi earlier indicated that she is entertaining a “big possibility” to run in Maguindanao’s first congressional district in the forthcoming polls.

She also dared Mangudadatu to swear before the Koran for truth to come out over her alleged involvement in the gruesome Maguindanao carnage.

Mangudadatu, for his part, turned down Sayadi’s challenge citing that he himself is a victim in the massacre case with his wife, Bai Genalyn; a sister and several relatives included in those slaughtered in the incident.

“She (Sayadi) should be the one to swear before the Koran and prove her innocence in court,” Mangudadatu said over an interview by a local television station here.

Sayadi, a lawyer by profession, was then Maguindanao’s solicitor-general when the gruesome incident, described as the worst pre-election instance in Philippine history, snuffed the lives of 57 people, including 33 journalists.

The victims, onboard a seven-vehicle convoy, were on their way to the capital town of Shariff Aguak town from Buluan to file Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao’s governorship in connection with the May 2010 national and local polls when halted along the highway in Ampatuan town by some 100-armed men of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. headed by his son Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.

The victims were herded afterwards to remote Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town where they were executed.

ARMM pours P600M for infra, livelihood projects in Basilan’s former battleground

By Julie S. Alipala (Inquirer Mindanao)

AL-BARKA, Basilan, Philippines — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is pouring P600 million to this town where more than 250 government soldiers have died in attacks by and encounters with Abu Sayyaf bandits.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said Al-Barka, the most dreaded town in Basilan, has become the recipient of a P600-million investment that would include road projects, ports, water systems and livelihood grants.

A huge chunk of the budget will go to road concreting projects amounting to P400 million.

“We will ensure that all roads are connected, including exit roads from Al-Barka to Tipo-Tipo and from Al-Barka to Lamitan and all the main highways leading to Cambug village where top leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are maintaining their areas,” Hataman said.

The rest of the funds will be spent on the construction of ports, water systems and livelihood programs.

Hadja Suada Asnawi, wife of Dan Asnawi, the commander of 114th Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces of the MILF in Basilan, said that, to develop, Basilan should have “working structures for health, water and education.”

“Our children have to travel down Lamitan for education. Our people have to go far to fetch water in Tipo-Tipo, and we don’t have health facilities,” she said.

Hadija Hassan, a resident of Ginanta village, called for efforts to open job opportunities in the province and livelihood projects.

“Once everyone is with steady earning, they will never join the Abu Sayyaf Group. But how can we find work here? Who will invest here if bandits keep harassing the people?” Hassan asked.

Hataman said it was the first time that Al-Barka got a huge funding.

Brig. Gen. Carlito Galvez, deputy commander of the Western Mindanao Command and head of the military’s coordination committee on the cessation of hostilities, said government has suffered big setbacks in Al-Barka.

Since 1997 to end of 2012, there were more than 256 soldiers killed and 560 wounded,” he said, referring to casualties suffered by the government in fighting the Abu Sayyaf.

Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the construction of highways linking Al-Barka to other towns would be the “concrete path to peace and better lives for the people.”

Guerrero, a former brigade commander based in Basilan, admitted “we have seen that the violent path is not a solution, military solution is not a solution, so we must exploit the opportunity of a peaceful option.”

In January 2013, Galvez, a former 104th Brigade commander, initiated talks with Asnawi that paved the way to strengthening ties between the Basilan-based military and the MILF.

Asnawi failed to join the consultation held last January 11, but he sent his deputy commander Hud Limaya and his wife Suada.

Asnawi’s wife said since the 2013 meeting, life in Al-Barka has become peaceful.

“The construction of the highway and the good relationship between the military and the MILF really helped a lot,” she said.

Hataman said P3 million was allocated for the construction of a town hall in Barangay (village) Magkawa.

The location of the soon-to-rise town hall is strategic as it is “closer to the people and just along the main highway,” according to Al-Barka mayor Darussalam Lajid.

Peaceful resolution of disputes to settle rido the best option – DILG ARMM

(PBChangco-PIA Cotabato City)

COTABATO CITY, Jan 12 (PIA)—The Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DILG-ARMM) adopts a peaceful or amicable settlement of rido cases involving warring clans in the region.

DILG ARMM regional secretary Anwar Malang said they believe and still adopts the peaceful settlement of rido cases through dialogue among feuding groups taking into account, consideration and full understanding of the “Moro culture.”

Based on experience, Malang said, the agency is in the process of revising the Katarungang Pambarangay system incorporating the traditional system of Moro through the council of elders in the mechanisms for rido settlement citing the successful proactive approach in addressing disputes in the province of Maguindanao.

“We try somehow to revise the Katarungang Pambarangay incorporating the Moro traditional system like the council of elders to resolve rido and security issues of villages,” he said.

Citing the need for full understanding of the Moro culture, the official aded, settling the disputes in peaceful dialogue among the involving parties with the participation of the council of elders is the best approach rather than filing of corresponding cases in the court.

The problem with the Moro culture, court decisions have not really addressed and resolved disputes in the region, he pointed out.

“Even before as a practicing lawyer, I would rather settle the case rather than file a case in court kasi ang problema natin sa Moro na-file mo iyung kaso, nanalo ka sa kaso but afterwards nandoon pa rin iyung kaso. Pero kung naayos natin even for instance through the “blood money” system, despite criticisms against this practice but ultimately resolve the problem and render justice and the greatest form of justice is reconciliation of warring parties.”

He said, working closely with the Regional Reconciliation and Unification Council (RRUC) and Regional Human Rights Action Center (RHRAC), they encourage peaceful settlement while at the same time the filing of appropriate cases in court

The RRUC has been created by the ARMM regional government mandated to address and resolve disputes and misunderstanding among feuding groups in the region with the support of local government units and Commission on Human Rights (CHR), he said.

As this developed, Malang said, the local governments department is strengthening its capacity-building and enhancement program as well as the monitoring of LGU functionality, operations/governance and performance.

Basilan solon declares bid for governor

(Zamboanga Today Online)

Congressman Jim Hataman-Salliman of the Lone District of Basilan announced on Thursday his bid for the governor of Basilan Province.

Salliman, a second termer solon, announced his gubernatorial bid for 2016 elections during a gathering of barangay officials of Isabela City.

The gathering was part of Congressman Salliman’s New Year’s Call.

Salliman also asked the help of barangay officials to support the pending Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“Today I formally announce that I will run for governor of Basilan in 2016,” Salliman said.

Salliman served as mayor of Sumisip from 2001 until 2004. He became congressman in 2010 and re-elected in 2013.

He is the elder brother of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman. Richard Falcatan


Reliving an ancient headgear art

(MST Lifestyle)

“Talakudong”, a Maguindanao word for native salakot headgear worn by its early settlers woven out of pandan leaves, is believed to be the town’s old name when it was still a village of Buluan of the then Empire Province of Cotabato.

In most parts of Mindanao, the headgear became a signature product worn in the farms and the coastal areas by lumad tribal peoples, Maguindanaoans and Ilonggo settlers, making it a symbol of unity of sort. So, when Tacurong hatched a festival in 1995 to celebrate its colorful culture, it can be no other than one that pays tribute and literally takes its hat off to its trademark headgear.

The Talakudong Festival features street dancers garbed in grand regalia reflecting the town’s storied past, joining the league of Mindanao’s popular fests such as Davao’s Kadayawan.

The same decades-old jovial spirit came to life once more with the Talakudong Festival to celebrate Tacurong’s 14th cityhood anniversary.

The weeklong festivity kicked off with the Headgear Parade displaying the colorful-painted and jazzed up talakudong around the city. Sometimes dyed to represent their tribal influences, talakudong has also become decoration motifs and accents both here and abroad to lend a native touch to interiors. Colorful talakudong made by women weavers (right)

Tacurong City mayor Lina Montilla said the festivity aims to preserve the tradition of hat-weaving and take the product to a new level.

She said that the event stresses goodwill and harmonious living among the tri-people of Tacurong despite their diverse ethno-linguistic and religious backgrounds.

The locus of the celebration was the Charter Day with the street dancing competition and field demonstration of contingents rendering stylized lumad and Muslim dances showcasing the indigenous headgear.

The focal point of the dance is the reenactment of the ritual when the town mayors of Tacurong and Buluan, Maguindanao forged a partnership, with the talakudong taking center stage as a sign of goodwill between Christian and Muslim villagers.

Made up of pandan leaves, the kudong is widely sold at rock-bottom price and is a visible merchandise around the city. But of late, new indigeous plant materials are being used to make it more durable and elegant.

With almost four decades of dancing in the streets and weaving the headgear since time immemorial, it is about time to take our hats off to the lowly talakudong.

ARMM conducts work and financial plan preparation confab

(Bureau of Public Information)

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Jan. 9 (PIA) --- The Regional Budget ad Management Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBMO-ARMM) conducted a one-day workshop on work and financial plan preparation for planning and budget officers of locally funded agencies in the region.

The activity was aimed at capacitating key personnel on proper budget implementation through a detailed work plan.

Mylene Macusang, RBMO executive director, said the workshop was intended to capacitate finance personnel to proper utilization of resources through efficient budget execution.

She said her office will closely monitor the compliance of every agency to the work and financial plan they submitted.

“The work and financial plan is the blueprint which will serve as gauge of their performance,” she said.

Last year, RBMO launched a computerized system dubbed e-RBMO to fast track transactions and better serve its clientele.

It is expected to be fully operational on the first quarter of this year.

“We are enhancing our system to safeguard our resources, this is part of our preparations for the transition (to the Bangsamoro),” she said.

The agency has been cited for its exemplary performance by the working government of ARMM during the region’s 25th founding anniversary celebration in December last year.

ARMM to set up additional 24/7 emergency operations center

(PNA), FFC/NYP/EOF

COTABATO CITY, Jan. 8 (PNA) -- To prepare government prompt response during calamities, the Autonomous Regional Government will establish another 24/7 Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART) operation center this year.

It will rise at the region’s seat in Cotabato City.

Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, said the 500 sq m operation center, including the facilities and equipment, will be worth Php100 million.

“The operation center will be the nerve center of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) operations,” she said.

The ARMM-HEART 24/7 operation center will primarily cater to the constituents of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi province affected by armed conflict and natural disasters.

In 2014, the response team delivered a total of about 18,000 food packs to flood victims and catered 4,234 families affected by armed conflicts in the provinces of Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan.

"The team also monitored the deportees from Sabah, Malaysia and conducted several trainings to capacitate the personnel and rescue team,” Alamia said.

ARMM-HEART was also among the emergency response groups that immediately responded to the relief and emergency needs of families affected by typhoon Yolanda in Tolosa, Leyte and by the Zamboanga siege in 2013.

The team continue to strengthen its partnership with non-government organizations that include different humanitarian agencies of the United Nations and civil society organizations.

Alamia is urging local government units in the region to be the front line emergency response team in their respective areas.

ARMM has been repeatedly suffered calamities, both man-made and natural, mostly displacement of families during armed conflict. The displacement lasted for a year when outlawed Bansamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) harassed civilian communities in 2008.

ARMM foresees more investments in 2015

(DEDoguiles-PIA 12 with report from RBOI-ARMM)

COTABATO CITY, Jan 7 (PIA) -- The Regional Board of Investments expects at least P1 billion worth of investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2015.

These investments, according to a report from the RBOI could come from fresh investments from local and foreign investors and existing firms on biomass power generation, mining, oil depot in Tawi-Tawi, and agriculture related projects such as banana, oil palm and buckweat plantations.

Lawyer Ishak V. Mastura, chairman of the RBOI-ARMM, expressed optimism that the agency will meet its target to register a total of P700 million worth of investments in the region this year.

This positive outlook, Mastura explained, could be attributed to the continuous effort of the

national government to pursue peace and development in Mindanao through the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and the reforms in governance by the Hataman Administration as well as the major advantages that the region possesses as an emerging investment destination.

“The region has about 500,000 hectares of available land potential for oil palm, coconut, corn, banana, rubber and other crops,” he noted.

“It is also not affected by typhoons and floods which make it conducive for agri-investments.”.

However, he cautioned investors to get reputable local partners to mitigate investment risks and ensure social acceptability of their investment projects.

Investors must also do due diligence on land tenure or land ownership if they engage in plantation projects in order to avoid future problems regarding questionable land titles or land tenure, he added.

“Since ARMM is home to a large Muslim population, it is being developed as the Halal hub, becoming the production and market base for Halal products and services not only in the country but also in the ASEAN.

“Infrastructure, logistics, telecommunications and other utilities are already present to support and sustain the growth of large industries in the region however, continuous improvements is a must,” he said.

In 2014, ARMM generated a total of P3.857 billion worth of investment.

These consisted of P1.773 billion (46%) in biomass renewable energy, P1.198 billion (31%) in nickel mining, P740 million (19%) in agriculture, and P146 million (4%) petroleum product distribution and trading

These investments generated 3,422 jobs.

Lamsan Power Corporation that constructed a P921-million biomass power plant at Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao was the biggest investor in 2014, followed by Al Mujahidun Agro Resources and Development, Inc. (AMARDI) that poured in P570 million for a 500-hectare cavendish banana plantation in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Meanwhile, SR Languyan Mining Corp. invested P520 million for nickel ore mining and quarrying in Languyan, Tawi-Tawi.

ARMM Governor, Mujiv Hataman said ARMM’s economy has accelerated from 1.1% in 2012 to 3.6 % in 2013 and is expected to increase in 2014.

This means, he said, that ARMM is fast coping with the challenges of socio-economic development. This is a sign of an improving economy, a product of relentless reforms in governance and peace which is good for business.

“Now is the opportune time to grow as the country’s brightest investment area as we transition from the present ARMM setup to the Bangsamoro government in 2015”, Governor Hataman added.

ARMM reform continues, preparing itself for new Bangsamoro government

By Edwin O. Fernandez [(PNA), CTB/NYP/EOF]

COTABATO CITY, Jan 6 (PNA) -- Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao today assured the Bangsamoro people that the region is intact, reformed and functioning according to President Aquino’s ‘daang matuwid’ campaign.

Speaking to ARMM employees, Hataman said the region is facing major challenges as it prepares to hand over the reign to the new Bangsamoro government expected to come later this year through the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

Hataman allayed fears of another ‘failed experiment’ in Bangsamoro government, saying it will finally solve the decades old Bangsamoro Question.

As the days for the entry of new political entity nears, Hataman said reforms will continue and it will start right away.

He called a new campaign aimed at making ARMM heads of offices always on their toes.

‘Oplan Gisa,” is a campaign where every department and bureau chiefs will be put to scrutiny on how they performed in the past year and what they can still do this year to further improve government services.

Hataman, known for his unique leadership, wanted to leave a legacy in the region by doing what his predecessors failed or have not done as regional governor.

His reform agenda netted at least Php1 billion savings in the past two hears that he led the regional bureucracy.

In his last state of the region address in November, Hataman outlined what he intends to do in the remaining year before the new government assumes.

All his plans were geared to transform the regional government into a people-centered, pro-poor, pro-development and transparent regional government.

Christian, Lumad, Muslim children play football in Maguindanao – report

By Joel Locsin / BM (GMA News)

Religious differences were set aside for some 120 Christian, Lumad and Muslim children who learned to play football in Maguindanao in late December, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said over the weekend.

An article on the CBCP news site said the event was the Kasibulan Festival in Timani in Maguindanao from Dec. 27 to 28.

The CBCP said the number of participants went beyond the expectations of Kasibulan Development Program coach Anthony Cabantog, who thought not more than 60 children would show up for the program he had been running since 1998.

Because of the high attendance, organizers and the Kasibulan team gave away 100 free balls to barangays, religious sectors, schools, social groups and new coaches.

Kasibulan said the balls should encourage the children to become better football players.

7-M euro fund tapped for Sulu-Sulawesi marine conservation

(Manila Bulletin)

The German government has established a seven million-euro special fund to support the implementation of protection and conservation initiatives within the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME), a shared ecosystem of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

According to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed

between the DENR and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, for the provision of the special fund.

DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) pointed out that the country will initially get 450,000 euros from the fund.

“The grant will help sustain conservation projects that aim to protect threatened species and habitats within the SSME, as well as the livelihoods of people who depend on them,” Paje said.

He added that the funding support will also reinforce the country’s capacity to implement the SSME Comprehensive Action Plan, a five-year blueprint which implementation started in 2012 to ensure the sustainability of fisheries production and marine conservation efforts within the protected area.

Marine biodiversity haven

SSME, an area of about 900,000 square kilometers of aquatic resources, ranks among the most diverse and productive marine systems in the world, and lies at the apex of the Coral Triangle.

The area is characterized by a tropical climate, tepid waters, and complex and wide-ranging biophysical characteristics and oceanography that contribute to its exceptionally abundant marine biodiversity.

It, however, has porous borders acting like a magnet to threats of piracy and illegal fishing, which contribute considerably to its environmental degradation.

The Coral Triangle is bordered by six countries, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

The Triangle, where Philippines is at the apex, covers 6.5 million square kilometers and is considered the global center of marine biodiversity, with over 600 reef-building coral species or 75 percent of all known coral species in the world and more than 3,000 fish species.

Paje said the new pact between the DENR and GIZ “highlights the confidence that other governments have in the Philippines, particularly in our effort to protect and conserve our coastal and marine resources.”

Under the MOU, the German government committed to provide funding support to the DENR for the implementation of various initiatives on marine protected areas (MPAs) within the SSME.

Four of the 11 important MPAs cited in the MOU as part of the ST-MPAN are in the Philippines, namely: the El Nido Marine Protected Area, the Tubbataha Reef Natural Parks, and the Balabac Marine Conservation Area in Palawan; and the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Tawi-Tawi.

Maguindanao's 'Lastikman' tries to bolt jail anew

By John Unson (philstar.com)

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Guards on Friday foiled the latest attempt by Maguindanao provincial jail's most notorious inmate, "Lastikman," to bolt from his cell.

The incident occurred just months after the ethnic Maguindanaon, whose real name is Datukan Samad, was recaptured following a daring escape from the same facility in 2012.

Lastikman is being prosecuted for multiple murders, cattle theft, highway robberies and drug trafficking.

Armando Baguaman, warden of the Maguindanao provincial jail, located at P.C. Hill in Cotabato City, said alert guards caught Lastikman and his cellmates trying to slowly cut the iron grills of their cell's window using a hacksaw smuggled in by a visiting relative.

Baguaman said they immediately transferred Lastikman, who hails from Pikit town in North Cotabato, into another cell, near a security post.

Baguaman said guards who immediately scoured the surroundings of the jail after they prevented the escape of Lastikman found an abandoned motorcycle parked few meters away from the fenced compound of the facility.

"We are now validating, with the help of the police, the possibility that the motorcycle was to be used as his getaway vehicle," Baguaman said.

During his 2012 attempt, three were killed, among them a responding Red Cross worker, while several others were wounded when his heavily armed followers tried to rescue him from the Kidapawan City jail.

The gunmen that attacked the Kidapawan City jail set off powerful improvised explosive devices as they escaped after failing to breach through its main gate, whose uniformed sentries traded shots with them.

He was transferred to the Maguindanao provincial jail three weeks after the botched attempt to spring himself out of detention.

ARMM coop members can now avail Pag-IBIG loans

By Edwin Fernandez

COTABATO CITY – Members of registered cooperatives in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) can now avail of services of Pag-IBIG Fund starting this year, officials said.

This after the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA-ARMM) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Pag- IBIG Fund management in Cotabato City.

Abdulrashid Ladayo Sr, CDA-ARMM administrator, said the MOA was part of his office’s efforts to encourage more cooperatives in the region to register with CDA and avail of Pag-IBIG benefits.

To date, the autonomous region has about 6,000 registered cooperatives but more remain unregistered.

He said under the MOA, registered cooperative members must register with Pag-IBIG Fund office to qualify them for loan services such as calamity loan, salary and housing loans, among others.

Manolito Olegario, Pag-IBIG Southwestern Mindanao Area head, said the MOA will continue to exist even if the ARMM is replaced by a new political government called Bangsamoro.

2014: Dawning of peace and prosperity

(Manila Bulletin)

Cotabato City – 2014 would be remembered as the year of the dawning of peace and upsurge of investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a remarkable long-awaited development attributed largely to the strides ushered in by the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

As of last Dec. 20, the ARMM’s Regional Board of Investments (RBOI) recorded P3.867 billion worth of investments, an unprecedented feat in the region’s 25-year history, which is more than double the figure recorded in 2013.

In 2013, the RBOI registered investments amounting to R1.463 billion, a 157 percent increase as compared to 2012’s P569 million.

Registered investments in ARMM from 2012 to date were mostly in agribusiness, renewable energy and mining.

ARMM, which covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan, will be replaced in the first semester of 2015 by a new autonomous political entity – the Bangsamoro New Autonomous Political Entity (BNAPE) once the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is passed by Congress and ratified by the people.

The BNAPE was envisioned under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and four annexes forged by the government and the MILF in 2014.

Apart from ARMM, the proposed territory of the Bangsamoro region would include the cities of Cotabato and Isabela, six towns in Lanao del Norte and 39 villages in six towns of North Cotabato.

Bulk of the 2013 and 2014 total investments in ARMM was registered in Maguindanao, which hosts over a dozen major MILF enclaves and is incidentally reeling from the havocs of atrocities that peaked in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 58 people including 32 media workers.

It may be recalled that weeks after the infamous massacre, several millions of pesos worth of projects were recalled from Maguindanao by foreign and local investors. Investments started flowing back at bigger magnitudes when the government and MILF peace panels inked the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) on Oct. 15, 2012.

Since 2012, there has been no armed skirmish between government and MILF forces, although there were recorded cases of complaints from both sides such as the uncoordinated massing or movements of troops.

Amid tranquil atmosphere, the peace panels were able to focus on the negotiating table, initially sealing the FAB that committed both parties to forge the CAB on March 27, 2014 and its four annexes in later dates.

Local analysts attributed the more than 200-percent investments hike in ARMM and Maguindanao to governmental reforms instituted by the incumbent regional and provincial leaderships, in particular, and to the gains of the MILF-government peace process, in general.

In his 2014 State of the Region Address, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the outgoing autonomous region has accumulated a total of R5.4 billion in revenue since 2012.

He said the ARMM gross regional domestic product (GRDP), or the value of goods and services in the region, hiked by 3.6% in 2013 from 1.1% in 2012. In 2011, the GRDP was at an all-time low at negative 0.3%, he added.

MILF CAUTIONS

With the improving investors’ trust in ARMM or the proposed Bangsamoro region, the MILF through the editorial of its official website www.luwaran.com (Dec. 16-23, 2014) warned prospective investors “to go slow and never presume.”

“This region is not yet normal. Conflicting land claims are not absent in many of its parts. It is not wise to presume that when a company deals with powerful people, everything is fine and in order,” the MILF said, though adding such caution was “not any way (meant) to drive away investors (but) for their protection and for the interests of everybody especially the meek, weak, and faint-hearted.”

As a matter of policy, the MILF said that investments were welcome in the envisioned Bangsamoro region “as long as they are people and environment-friendly.”

Congress is expected to pass within the first four months of 2015 the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the charter of the new autonomous entity. By then, the ARMM will be replaced by a Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

The MILF has created its own political party – the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJ) – that will first lead efforts for the ratification of the BBL and later field candidates in the Bangsamoro parliament in elections starting in 2016.

‘GRAY AREAS’

While majority of the stakeholders in local Muslim, Christian and Lumad communities are seeing bright prospects in the proposed BNAPE, a few of them have raised concern on some “gray areas” in the context of the BBL and its implementation process.

In an earlier press conference, Hataman said the eventual enactment of the BBL and the creation of the BNAPE is a foregone conclusion. But he added that the process will pass through “critical” stages from Congressional review and enactment to ratification.

Ali B. Sangki, former president of the Philippine Amanah Bank and past executive director of the defunct Office on Muslim Affairs, said in his Facebook account that the abolition of ARMM this year would deprive the elected officials of their mandates under the constitution.

But in an interview with the Bulletin, government chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer contradicted the opinion, saying the elective office term of incumbent officials is coterminous with the abolition of ARMM.

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