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==MILF chair to GPH: “let us be partners, not adversaries in solving contentious issues”==
*Source: http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2011/09/08/milf-chair-to-gph-%E2%80%9Clet-us-be-partners-not-adversaries-in-solving-contentious-issues%E2%80%9D/
* Thursday| September 8, 2011
:By  Carolyn O. Arguillas
DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao (MindaNews/07 September) –  Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim says contentious and divisive issues it the peace negotiations can be resolved if both government and the MILF panels treat each other as partners instead of adversaries.
Murad said he acknowledges there are contentious and divisive issues such as amending the Constitution but urges government to address, instead of avoid these, with the MILF as partners.
“If you run away from the real issue of the problem, wala tayong magagawa, we cannot do anything. So we tackle this and find a way na itong mga divisive provision na sinasabi, we can discuss this and  how can we come up with a solution na hindi masyadong maging divisive at saka hindi masyado maging contentious. So that’s what we can do, we can start with that rather than run away from it,” he told MindaNews Tuesday at the receiving room of the MILF peace panel’s office inside this camp.
He said the peace process can be fast-tracked if  the two parties will not tackle anymore those that had been previously agreed upon and instead concentrate on those issues where there no agreements yet. He estimates the latter comprises only about “30 to 40%.”
The two panels, he said, “should work as partners in finding a way out (of the contentious issues),  not as adversaries. That’s the only practical means to move forward.  Because if you keep on seeing each other as adversaries, lahat ng sasabihin sa kabila, hindi yan magaling.. (everything the other side says, will be seen by the other as ‘not good.’)
He said both panels can, jointly or individually, win over Congress, local officials by explaining the position of the MILF, to tell them there is nothing to fear, they will not lose their political powers. He said many of those opposing have no basis for their opposition.
The two panels had agreed in February 2006 to set up a Joint Advocacy Group that would consult with various sectors and conduct joint activities to disseminate information on the peace process. The JAGs’ efforts were not continued when the talks reached an impasse in late 2006. But it managed to issue a primer on the GPH-MILF peace process in October 2006, in the midst of the impasse.
Whose working draft?
The MILF peace panel submitted its proposed peace settlement on February 10. The government submitted its proposal on August 22, 18 days after President Benigno Simeon Aquino III met with Murad in Tokyo, Japan, and agreed to fast-track the peace process to ensure implementation of the peace agreement before the end of the administration in 2016.
The MILF peace panel, however, rejected on August 23 the government’s proposal and said it would  recommend to its Central Committee the rejection of the same. The Central Committee listened to the report of the panel on August 29 and met again on August 31 but asked for more time to decide on the issue.
On September 5, Murad told MindaNews: “We will not agree that that (GPH proposal) will be the working draft because it does not reflect past agreements which is very important in moving forward.  We will not agree that we will start from scratch again.”
Government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen had repeatedly said to look at the provisions of their proposal and that they are not starting from scratch.
Murad said that during their meeting with President Aquino in Japan on August 4,  the President started their conversation by explaining that he really wants to do something about the problem and to do it within his administration.
“He started elaborating on improving basic services, governance strengthening..  (he said) there is no real governance in this area and the people need social services, development, so that is how he explained it. Then he said, ‘I want to do this with your group within my term. I will be good until 2013only because after 2013, I might be a lameduck President.’”
Murad said he told the President that he agrees with him about the problems “but I said for us these problems are the fruit, the result of the real problem. What we see is there is a real problem, the root cause of the problem, the absence of peace and order, the absence of effective governance, the absence of development basic services, because there is an ongoing war in the area and the war is because the Bangsamoro people are struggling to achieve their aspirations for self governance and self determination. So that I think  Mr President is the real problem and root cause of the other problems.”
He said he told the President  that “even if we address these problems, they are all palliatives because unless we solve the real problem, the root cause of the problem, this will keep on going on,” he said.
He said he explained to the President that their proposal “is directly focused on addressing the root cause of the problem.”
“The only alternative we see for aspiration of people for independence is a state for the Bangsamoro people that will reflect their aspirations to govern themselves according to their own way of life,” he said.
“I will be very frank with you Mr. President, I said, the ARMM is not a self-governance. It does not reflect the aspirations of Bangsamoro people, there is  no actual autonomy even though the name there is autonomous region,” he said, adding the ARMM has only become a “milking cow for politicians.”
“We concluded by saying whatever you do with the ARMM cannot really solve the problem so we have to do away with this ARMM and then build another structure that can (reflect our aspirations),” Murad said.
He recalled the President said solving the political aspect would take long so they should do first the “doables.”
Murad said the two panels can agree on what can be done. “Let the panels talk. I even recommended to him, I said, the chair of the two panels are here, I recommend that they should not treat each other as on the opposite sides. I said they should treat each other as partners in solving the problem.”
He said Leonen had proposed to MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal to meet in Kuala Lumpur on September 12 to 13 so they can move forward but the MILF proposed that the Malaysian facilitator shuttle first to “narrow the gap.”
Iqbal had described the gap between the MILF’s proposal and government’s as “heaven and earth” while Leonen said it was “not too far apart.”
Murad said they will not accept the government’s proposal as the working draft. Leonen had said upon receipt of the MILF draft in February that it was accepting it as the MILF’s opening position but not as the working draft.
Asked about coming up with a working draft from both proposals, Murad said: “that is what we expect the shuttling facilitation can do. At least merong understanding, certain kind of  agreement na magkakaroon ng middle ground.”
“It can be a draft that will .. “ Murad said, but decided against finishing his sentence. “We will see how it will… “
“Contentious and divisive”
He said he noticed from the GPH proposal that they want to do all those doables first and leave behind the contentious and divisive issues but “what is contentious and divisive? The actual political solution.”
He said government is “dragging us to already join them to be their partner in doing the doables. Ang mangyayari, papasok na kami sa gobyerno witnout the actual political solution. So ganon din ang nangyari sa MNLF. Sabi nila ‘o sige kunin na ninyo ang ARMM we will reform the ARMM we will amend .. ‘so ganon ang nangyari sa .. but what happened after that? The ARMM nag-agawan sila ng position sa gobyerno so everyone wants to have a position….”
He said the government’s offer is a repeat of what it offered to the MNLF in 1996.
“It’s just the same process they want to do and just leave behind the actual solution. Maybe when there is no more time for the president, he will just pass on to the next administration.”
Leonen had said in several consultations that President Aquino has committed “not to pass this problem again to the next administration,” and that “it is not within the worldview of this administration to say ‘i-dribble  natin ito’ and pass on to the next president.
After the adjournment of the talks in Kuala Lumpur on August 23, Leonen said Constitutional amendment is “immediately divisive” and it is difficult to muster ¾ vote in Congress and the majority in a plebiscite, but he said it does not mean this is a closed option. “We work at it.”
In the peace forum at the Notre Dame University on August 31, Leonen said there is no mention of Constitutional change in their proposal but asked, “does that mean no possibility of constitutional change?  Does that mean therefore that Constitutional change is forever not possible?”
He said the position of government now is that amending the Constitution is not a priority.
But he noted that for the government, “peace in Mindanao is a priority.”


==Mindanao province to copy Suroy-Suroy==
==Mindanao province to copy Suroy-Suroy==
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Sultan Kudarat officials invited their Cebu counterparts  to their 38th Charter Day  in Nov. 22.
Sultan Kudarat officials invited their Cebu counterparts  to their 38th Charter Day  in Nov. 22.
Sultan Kudarat in southwestern Mindanao was part of the empire province of Cotabato. It was made a province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato
Sultan Kudarat in southwestern Mindanao was part of the empire province of Cotabato. It was made a province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato


==Tacurong is region 12's most child-friendly city==
==Tacurong is region 12's most child-friendly city==

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHY??

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

MILF chair to GPH: “let us be partners, not adversaries in solving contentious issues”

By Carolyn O. Arguillas


DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao (MindaNews/07 September) – Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim says contentious and divisive issues it the peace negotiations can be resolved if both government and the MILF panels treat each other as partners instead of adversaries. Murad said he acknowledges there are contentious and divisive issues such as amending the Constitution but urges government to address, instead of avoid these, with the MILF as partners. “If you run away from the real issue of the problem, wala tayong magagawa, we cannot do anything. So we tackle this and find a way na itong mga divisive provision na sinasabi, we can discuss this and how can we come up with a solution na hindi masyadong maging divisive at saka hindi masyado maging contentious. So that’s what we can do, we can start with that rather than run away from it,” he told MindaNews Tuesday at the receiving room of the MILF peace panel’s office inside this camp. He said the peace process can be fast-tracked if the two parties will not tackle anymore those that had been previously agreed upon and instead concentrate on those issues where there no agreements yet. He estimates the latter comprises only about “30 to 40%.” The two panels, he said, “should work as partners in finding a way out (of the contentious issues), not as adversaries. That’s the only practical means to move forward. Because if you keep on seeing each other as adversaries, lahat ng sasabihin sa kabila, hindi yan magaling.. (everything the other side says, will be seen by the other as ‘not good.’) He said both panels can, jointly or individually, win over Congress, local officials by explaining the position of the MILF, to tell them there is nothing to fear, they will not lose their political powers. He said many of those opposing have no basis for their opposition. The two panels had agreed in February 2006 to set up a Joint Advocacy Group that would consult with various sectors and conduct joint activities to disseminate information on the peace process. The JAGs’ efforts were not continued when the talks reached an impasse in late 2006. But it managed to issue a primer on the GPH-MILF peace process in October 2006, in the midst of the impasse. Whose working draft? The MILF peace panel submitted its proposed peace settlement on February 10. The government submitted its proposal on August 22, 18 days after President Benigno Simeon Aquino III met with Murad in Tokyo, Japan, and agreed to fast-track the peace process to ensure implementation of the peace agreement before the end of the administration in 2016. The MILF peace panel, however, rejected on August 23 the government’s proposal and said it would recommend to its Central Committee the rejection of the same. The Central Committee listened to the report of the panel on August 29 and met again on August 31 but asked for more time to decide on the issue. On September 5, Murad told MindaNews: “We will not agree that that (GPH proposal) will be the working draft because it does not reflect past agreements which is very important in moving forward. We will not agree that we will start from scratch again.” Government peace panel chair Marvic Leonen had repeatedly said to look at the provisions of their proposal and that they are not starting from scratch. Murad said that during their meeting with President Aquino in Japan on August 4, the President started their conversation by explaining that he really wants to do something about the problem and to do it within his administration. “He started elaborating on improving basic services, governance strengthening.. (he said) there is no real governance in this area and the people need social services, development, so that is how he explained it. Then he said, ‘I want to do this with your group within my term. I will be good until 2013only because after 2013, I might be a lameduck President.’” Murad said he told the President that he agrees with him about the problems “but I said for us these problems are the fruit, the result of the real problem. What we see is there is a real problem, the root cause of the problem, the absence of peace and order, the absence of effective governance, the absence of development basic services, because there is an ongoing war in the area and the war is because the Bangsamoro people are struggling to achieve their aspirations for self governance and self determination. So that I think Mr President is the real problem and root cause of the other problems.” He said he told the President that “even if we address these problems, they are all palliatives because unless we solve the real problem, the root cause of the problem, this will keep on going on,” he said. He said he explained to the President that their proposal “is directly focused on addressing the root cause of the problem.” “The only alternative we see for aspiration of people for independence is a state for the Bangsamoro people that will reflect their aspirations to govern themselves according to their own way of life,” he said. “I will be very frank with you Mr. President, I said, the ARMM is not a self-governance. It does not reflect the aspirations of Bangsamoro people, there is no actual autonomy even though the name there is autonomous region,” he said, adding the ARMM has only become a “milking cow for politicians.” “We concluded by saying whatever you do with the ARMM cannot really solve the problem so we have to do away with this ARMM and then build another structure that can (reflect our aspirations),” Murad said. He recalled the President said solving the political aspect would take long so they should do first the “doables.” Murad said the two panels can agree on what can be done. “Let the panels talk. I even recommended to him, I said, the chair of the two panels are here, I recommend that they should not treat each other as on the opposite sides. I said they should treat each other as partners in solving the problem.” He said Leonen had proposed to MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal to meet in Kuala Lumpur on September 12 to 13 so they can move forward but the MILF proposed that the Malaysian facilitator shuttle first to “narrow the gap.” Iqbal had described the gap between the MILF’s proposal and government’s as “heaven and earth” while Leonen said it was “not too far apart.” Murad said they will not accept the government’s proposal as the working draft. Leonen had said upon receipt of the MILF draft in February that it was accepting it as the MILF’s opening position but not as the working draft. Asked about coming up with a working draft from both proposals, Murad said: “that is what we expect the shuttling facilitation can do. At least merong understanding, certain kind of agreement na magkakaroon ng middle ground.” “It can be a draft that will .. “ Murad said, but decided against finishing his sentence. “We will see how it will… “ “Contentious and divisive” He said he noticed from the GPH proposal that they want to do all those doables first and leave behind the contentious and divisive issues but “what is contentious and divisive? The actual political solution.” He said government is “dragging us to already join them to be their partner in doing the doables. Ang mangyayari, papasok na kami sa gobyerno witnout the actual political solution. So ganon din ang nangyari sa MNLF. Sabi nila ‘o sige kunin na ninyo ang ARMM we will reform the ARMM we will amend .. ‘so ganon ang nangyari sa .. but what happened after that? The ARMM nag-agawan sila ng position sa gobyerno so everyone wants to have a position….” He said the government’s offer is a repeat of what it offered to the MNLF in 1996. “It’s just the same process they want to do and just leave behind the actual solution. Maybe when there is no more time for the president, he will just pass on to the next administration.” Leonen had said in several consultations that President Aquino has committed “not to pass this problem again to the next administration,” and that “it is not within the worldview of this administration to say ‘i-dribble natin ito’ and pass on to the next president. After the adjournment of the talks in Kuala Lumpur on August 23, Leonen said Constitutional amendment is “immediately divisive” and it is difficult to muster ¾ vote in Congress and the majority in a plebiscite, but he said it does not mean this is a closed option. “We work at it.” In the peace forum at the Notre Dame University on August 31, Leonen said there is no mention of Constitutional change in their proposal but asked, “does that mean no possibility of constitutional change? Does that mean therefore that Constitutional change is forever not possible?” He said the position of government now is that amending the Constitution is not a priority. But he noted that for the government, “peace in Mindanao is a priority.”




Mindanao province to copy Suroy-Suroy

By Carmel Loise Matus


Sultan Kudarat province in Mindanao may adopt the Cebu province’s Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo rural tourism program, said Rep. Arnulfo Go. The congressman representing Sultan Kudarat’s 2nd district made this statement after seeing a presentation of the program at the Capitol’s new conference room. Go, Sultan Kudarat Vice Gov. Ernesto Matias and other provincial and barangay officials paid a courtesy call to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday. Go told Cebu Daily News that the Suroy-Suroy—a caravan that brings tourists to towns over several days—would encourage local government units to participating in promoting Sultan Kudarat. “With that move, local officials will be encouraged to develop tourism, eco-tourism,” he said. Go said his district has plenty of beaches that could be developed into tourist destinations. “In my district where coastal areas are predominant, resorts could be developed. But roads have to be developed first,” he said. “The paving of the road, however, is ongoing in the area. The place has to catch up with development.” Go said they want to establish sisterhood ties between Cebu and Sultan Kudarat provinces. “We want to learn more from the programs of Cebu. Based on the presentation of the governor, we have a lot to learn from her,” he said. However, sisterhood ties have yet to be discussed with Gov. Soharto Mangudadatu. Last month, South Cotabato through Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. established ties with Cebu province. Cebu’s sister provinces are Ilocos Norte, Albay and Antique. Sultan Kudarat officials invited their Cebu counterparts to their 38th Charter Day in Nov. 22. Sultan Kudarat in southwestern Mindanao was part of the empire province of Cotabato. It was made a province along with Maguindanao and North Cotabato

Tacurong is region 12's most child-friendly city

by Allan S. Freno


TACURONG CITY, Sept 5 (PIA) –- Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province is Soccsksargen Regions’ most child-friendly city under the component cities category, according to the Regional Council for the Welfare of Children (RCWC). In a letter sent to Mayor Lina Montilla last week, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Bai Zorahayda Taja informed the mayor that Tacurong has satisfactorily passed the regional evaluation conducted last month. Taja added that being adjudged the region’s most child-friendly city, Tacurong will receive a child-friendly seal plus P50,00 cash prize. Tacurong also becomes the regional entry for the National Search for the Most Child-Friendly City to be launched this month. The city was evaluated based on its child-friendly policies and programs particularly in the areas of survival, protection, education, and development. Representatives from the Department of Health, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Education, and DSWD composed the regional evaluation team. During the validation on July 27, the evaluators checked various pertinent documents such as the annual budget of the city to determine how much funds go to programs that promote the welfare of children. Evaluators also paid a visit to the police station and inspected the latter’s Women and Children’s Desk along with its records. Three of the 20 barangays here were also subjected to ocular inspection to check on the functionality of each of their Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC). The City Council for the Welfare of Children (CCWC), being allowed to submit one barangay for inspection, chose Barangay Buenaflor, which has the most functional BCPC in Tacurong. The other two barangays, Tina and Calean, were randomly selected by the evaluators at random. Since the education aspect of the children were given equal consideration, evaluators also inspected one of its public schools, the Tacurong National High School, to determine how far did the City Schools Division go in providing quality education for all. After a whole day validation, the evaluators and members of the CCWC headed by Mayor Lina Montilla, sat down for an exit conference. The evaluation team declared that except for some minor comments, the city had done well in almost all areas, highlighted by the education sector getting relatively the highest rating. Nearly a month after the validation, Tacurong got the official word that it passed the evaluation and declared as the regional winner. Mayor Montilla, who also sits as the chairperson of CCWC, hopes that the city will be able to get the national award despite strong competition anticipated to be presented by other regions. CCWC Action Officer Nancy Bawe said that the council is making improvements based on the feedbacks offered by the regional evaluation team. “Before the national evaluation team visits our city for the validation, we hope to already make enhancements to boost our chances in the national search,” Bawe said. (DED/PIA 12/TACURONG CPIO)

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