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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Japan-given computers for ARMM


Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Project Formulation Advisor for Mindanao Takashi Komori (seated left foreground) and ARMM Executive Secretary Naguid Sinarimbo (beside him) ceremonially use one of 20 computer units JICA donated to the regional autonomous government while JICA Chief Adviser Michimasa Numata, AMS-ORG, ARMM Human Capacity Development Project Manager Lydia M. Udaundo-Mastura, JICA Business Support Expert Ryujiro Sasao and Chief of Macro Intersectoral Coordinating Assistance Division, Regional Planning Deputy Chief Baintan Adil-Ampatuan look on at simple rites in Cotabato City Tuesday. Inset photo shows the JICA and ARMM officials signing a memorandum of understanding on the use of the computer units in data banking system (Omar Mangorsi/bpi-armm)

JICA enhances ARMM bureaucracy, official says

COTABATO CITY – Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have acknowledged sharp improvement in the ARMM bureaucracy amid the continued capacity-building support of the Japan International Cooperation (JICA), citing the Japanese entity’s generosity for underdeveloped nations.

“There is no way we can reciprocate generous package supports from the JICA than to produce a bureaucracy of competent professional workforce”, said ARMM Executive Secretary Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo during the 2nd annual progress meeting here of the Human Capacity Development Project (HCDP).

Speaking before participants of the annual meeting graced by JICA officials at a restaurant here Tuesday, Sinarimbo lauded the Japanese sponsors for their untiring supports to various initiatives aimed at improving ARMM governance.

Since 2007, JICA, a development partner of ARMM, has been bankrolling a series of manpower trainings and infrastructure development in the region, which covers Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

While lauding JICA for its significant intervention in human resources growth, Sinarimbo called on ARMM bureaucrats craft strategies the would set clear-cut policies that will ensure wise utilization of grants and similar packages the likes of JICA.

“We, officials and employees in the Autonomous government are the real faces in the ARMM; whatever we do or fail to do is real reflection on how governance is conducted in ARMM”, Sinarimbo said.

For this year’s progress meeting, technical working groups on administrative development, infrastructure development and economic development took turns in rendering positive results in their respective areas.

Impressed of the progress reports, Project Formulation Advisor for Mindanao (JICA Philippines) Mr. Takashi Komori assured his Filipino counterparts of his favorable recommendations for other program packages.

Komori said that the ill-fated incident in Maguindanao late last year has not affected the momentum and cooperation JICA has been offering ARMM.

The one-day affair winded up with JICA turning over twenty (20) more units of computers for the Human Resource Information System at the HRIS Center located at the ARMM compound here.

Morito, Sinarimbo and ARMM’s administrative management services Director Lydia Udaundo-Mastura signed a memorandum of understanding on the use of the computer units for enhance data banking system. (rkp/bpi-armm)

February 23, 2010

COTABATO CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) declared today that measles cases in Lanao del Sur, particularly in the coastal town of Balabagan have been fully contained after experiencing earlier a reported outbreak.

DOH-ARMM Secretary Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr. bared the good news through a report he submitted to acting Regional governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, who earlier directed him to validate earlier published report on the inclusion of measles outbreak in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur.

“Please everything possible to address the reported outbreak,” Adiong was quoted as telling Dr. Sinolinding Jr. in an earlier call over the phone.

According to Sinolinding, he immediately sent health workers to investigate the report and conduct immunization against measles especially on children to avoid epidemic.

Sinolinding said seven adults and a one-year old child have been recorded in Balabagan town, Lanao del Sur. “But no fatalities were posted as we closely monitored and validated reports on the disease,” the health secretary added.

The case was recorded on January 27, 2010, according to published reports.

Earlier, according to Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, the DOH has posted recorded a total of 609 measles cases.

She disclosed that this year, the number of measles cases recorded from January 1 to February 13 is 70 percent higher than the same period of last year.

Measles is an airborne disease and is contagious, Sinolinding said, prodding the public especially the parents to have their infant children immunized free in designated health clinics and health providers in the region.

Cabral in an interview said that “measles is a highly contagious viral disease and can also be aggravated due to overcrowding and congestion”.

But Sinolinding said there are no reports of measles outbreak in evacuation camps in Maguindanao where there are still Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) staying since August 2008 due to armed conflicts.

He said the Integrated Provincial Health Office in Maguindnao headed by Dr. Tahir Sulaik is doing well in delivering health services in the province.

“Our support package to our people in Maguindanao especially for the IDPs include comprehensive health coverage and management,” he stressed.

In 2004, the Health department launched the Ligtas Tigdas Campaign wherein no measles cases were reported from June 2004 to December 2006.

The campaign aimed to vaccinate 18 million children between 9 months and 8 years old using a door-to-door strategy nationwide which decreased measles cases in the country by 96 percent and death from measles by 99 percent.

Prior to Ligtas Tigdas campaign, an estimated 6,000 Filipino children majority coming from the poor households who has least access to public health died from measles.

“DOH-ARMM will continue to deliver the basic health services due our people in the region as concrete manifestation of the seriousness of regional governor Adiong to address the health requirement of his people,” Sinolinding said.

DOH-ARMM said symptoms of measles include fever, general weakness and occasionally red eyes. But these symptoms usually come before skin rash confirming the onset of the disease. It is transmitted through droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected person. (johenry/agm/BPI-ARMM)

Tawi-Tawi celebrates rich harvest of food crops

February 23, 2010


BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – Farmers and residents in his province celebrated on Monday what they described as bountiful harvest of food crops in their maiden “Cassava and Banana Harvest Festival” here in this provincial capital town.

Despite its being on the list of the poorest provinces in the country, Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali averred that food production flourishes in the province and the people here never run out of something to eat as amplified in the festival’s theme, “Nobody…Nobody Goes Hungry in Tawi-Tawi.”

Unknown to many, Tawi-Tawi has gained fame for its massive seaweeds production and rich marine resource, and has been attaining surplus production of cassava – a staple food here and in the neighboring provinces of Sulu and Basilan.

There are more than 19,000 hectares of arable lands planted with cassava in the province , producing close to 170,000 metric tons of harvest in a year.

Sangkula Tindick, the provincial agricultural officer, puts the province’s cassava surplus at around 40%. Some of which reach markets in Sabah, which is just few hours travel from Tawi-Tawi, and even in the municipality of Siasi in Sulu.

He said the province has been consistently producing excessive supply of cassava in the last seven to 10 years when they began advocating for the farming of the said crop and fruit trees such as mango throughout the province. Their office provided trainings and seedlings to the farmers.

Almost all of the major islands in the province have their cultivated lands planted with cassava, banana or mango, according to Tindick, adding that these lands used to be idle.

Even the famous Turtle Island was not taken out of the picture. The provincial agriculture office has launched a project few years back in the island, which Tindick dubbed as the “greening” of Turtle Island, encouraging locals to plant cassava and mango trees.

Their campaign has paid off really well, said Tindick. Now, the province’s people and economy will not just be relying on marine resource but on the similarly rich soil as well, he said. (bpiarmm)

‘Punitive’ GAA provision imperils ARMM operations Urgent Presidential veto sought

February 23, 2010


New officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are calling for an urgent veto of what they lamented yesterday as "grossly punitive” provision in this year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) governing fund releases to the ARMM governance.

Unless saved by a Presidential veto this week, the ARMM operations are in peril of "paralysis," officials led by acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong disclosed in vehemence.

“I humbly implore (for) an audience anytime this week (to bring out personally) our grave concern before said flaw becomes irreversible," Adiong stressed in his letter to the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dated Feb. 22, five days before the mandate of GAA provisions take effect on Feb. 27.

Adiong was referring to special provision No. 2 on the ARMM budget in page 881 of GAA 2010, which states that “no subsequent release shall be made unless previous funds released to the ARMM were audited by a special audit team based in Manila and designated for the purpose.”

The same provision slates that “any disbursement that not been liquidated, audited and/or disallowed by the special audit team shall be deducted from subsequent releases (for the ARMM from this year’s GAA).”

The 24-member Regional Legislative Assembly (ARMM) and five provincial governments in ARMM have prepared separate manifestations protesting the GAA provision, which they described as an affront to the wisdom of installing the Adiong regime purportedly to reform the regional governance.

The Arroyo administration has detained and indicted ARMM Governor Zaldy Uy Ampatuan in connection with the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 57 people including 31 journalists in Maguindanao. It also ordered a special audit of the fund disbursements of the suspended leadership on suspicion of alleged graft.

“At a time when (ARMM) needs to rebuild its image from accusations of graft, inefficiency and violence, the (budget) restriction will severely affect our efforts to implement strategic regional infrastructures and basic social services that, aside from improving the lot of our people, would (prove) that ARMM remains as a relevant, functional and beneficial politico-administrative unit,” a draft of an RLA resolution said.

The draft resolution said the RLA members are "collectively opposed to such provision and earnestly appealing” to President Arroyo “to veto” it.

This year’s GAA earmarks P9.2-billion budget for ARMM. The amount covers some 70 percent share for personnel services, 25 percent maintenance and operating expense funds and P850-million capital outlay.

“The ARMM’s 2010 budget constitutes less than 1% of the national budget, but the new regional leadership has vowed to utilize it to the optimum benefit of its constituents under the principles on transparent, consultative and moral governance,” regional Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said.

The provincial governments of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are equally alarmed of the stringent budget provision because they stand to share P150-million each for vital infra projects while the regional government would share only P100-million for similar projects, records said.

Unless timely vetoed, the budgetary “flaw” would do a “collective punishment” against all the workforces and constituents of the regional governance, said Sinarimbo, a lawyer.

He said the budget provision is “unwarranted” because there is no certainty in the length of period the audit on the Ampatuan administration’s expenditures would be completed.

“While all well-meaning people of ARMM support the comprehensive audit on past fund releases and the prosecution of officials culpable of misdemeanors, we should not be held hostage to its proceedings and outcome,” he said.

ARMM news analyst Raymundo Pelaez, a law graduate, berated as “illogical” the interpolation of the stiff provision into the GAA because while it “appeared serious to sanction people suspected of wrong doings, it squeezes the necks of new leaders the national government installed to institute reforms.”

“In ARMM, more often than not, investigations or comprehensive fund audits are synonymous to infinity. Therefore, holding the new ARMM regime solely dependent on the result of the audit of fund disbursements they have nothing to do with, is a virtual act of sabotage,“ Pelaez added. (AGM/bpi-armm)

MOA signing on social fund projects in ARMM


ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) led by project manager Engr. Nasser Sinarimbo (3rd from right) inks a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with local officials of Lanao del Sur – Saguiran mayor Rasmia Macabago (1st from right); Lumba Bayabao mayor Minda Dagalangit (2nd from right); Ditsaan-Ramain mayor Actar Marmar (3rd from left), Masiu mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. (2nd from left) and Dr. Lampa Pandi of Poona Bayabao (1st from left) on the implementation of the ASFP projects in their respective localities at a meeting in Cagayan de Oro City on February 19, 2010. Witnessing the signing are (from R-L) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Consultancy team head Engr. Domingo Guarinio; Mr. Norodin Lumambas and Ms. Irene Gonzales of the ASFP; Hja Mariam Abdulkasan of DSWD-ARMM; Lanao del Sur provincial social welfare officer Ms. Liamen Laut; JICA expert Mr. Tito Oria and Ms. Ayrin Sales of the ASFP. Inset photo shows Sinarimbo addresses participants of the LGU orientation meeting held by the ASFP shortly before the MOA signing rites where he announced that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation (IBRD) or World Bank approved the $30 million additional funding for more barangays of the ARMM that have not yet received ASFP projects. (bpi-armm)

MoA signing on social fund projects in ARMM


ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) led by project manager Engr. Nasser Sinarimbo (3rd from right) inks a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with local officials of Lanao del Sur - Mayor Mauyag Papandaya, Jr. of Tubaran (1st from right); Mayor Jamal Asum of Lumbayanague (2nd from right); Mayor Cabib Tanog of Pualas (2nd from left) and Mayor Baguio Macapodi of Ganassi (1st from left) on the implementation of the ASFP projects in their respective localities at a meeting in Cagayan de Oro on February 17, 2010. Witnessing the signing are (from L-R) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) expert Mr. Tito Oria; DSWD-ARMM Community Development Assisstance (CDA) manager Hja Mariam Abdulkasan; Mr. Norordin Lumambas, Mr. Opao Tiboron of the ASFP and Mr. Wally Garoy of the Consultancy Team office of the JICA. Inset photos shows Sinarimbo addresses participants of an orientation meeting held by the ASFP shortly before the MOA signing rites where he announced that the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) or World Bank approved the $30 million additional funding for more barangays of the ARMM that have not yet received ASFP projects. (bpi-armm)

Lanao’s recipients of foreign-funded projects oriented

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Pursuing full-swing peace and development initiatives in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP) has oriented and linked up with local government units (LGU) officials in Lanao del Sur to make them program implementing partners.

ASFP officials led by Project Manager Nasser Sinarimbo brainstormed with municipal and barangay officials from Lanao del Sur at a five-day orientation meeting that ended here Sunday.

During the conference, ASFP officials and some participating local officials from Lanao del Sur entered into agreements providing for the implementation of community-based infrastructure projects funded by foreign donor-institutions through the ASFP.

The ASFP was created by the national government in 2006 to implement in ARMM areas development projects funded through soft loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) or World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The World Bank has recently approved a US$30 million additional financing support through ASFP to cover more barangays from the six component provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan and two cities of Marawi and Lamitan that have not yet benefited from the agency’s projects and services.

The ASFP operations’ lifespan was supposed to end in June last year, but officials and residents in ARMM have persuaded the national government and participating foreign institutions to extend the operations that led to the approval of the fresh loan.

“The extended program operations entails substantial fund that every Filipinos will have to pay for it but is earmarked only for ARMM. It is a special privilege we must enjoy with utmost care to show we are worthy of trust,” Engr. Sinarimbo told a press briefing earlier held in Cotabato City.

In pursuit of the policy of acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong on moral, transparent and consultative governance, the five-day orientation was held here to be able to ensure successful implementation of ASFP projects by recipient LGUs, he said.

The orientation had clarified the roles and functions of the Municipal Multi Stakeholders Committee (MMSC), Municipal Team (MT) and Local Chief Executives (LCEs), the responsibilities of the LGUs on procurement and management and project financial management and status in the said project implementation, added Sinarimbo.

He said that as of December last year, 862 of of the 2,486 barangays in ARMM have been covered by the Social Fund projects since year 2003.

In a message read for him by ARMM cabinet secretary Pangilaman Mamowalas, Gov. Adiong his transitional regime will support and pursue development undertakings that would help mitigate hunger and reduce poverty incidence, boost economic condition and improve education and health services in the entire region.

ARMM Social Fund Project has three major components, namely: Strategic Regional Infrastructure (SRI); capacity-building of recipients on livelihood and food sufficiency programs; and the Institutional Strengthening and Governance (ISG) that supports the mechanisms to project management and enhanced governance. (Naila Salik/bpi-armm)

Water system project for waterless town


President Arroyo, assisted by (from her left) Taraka, Lanao del Sur Mayor Amenodin Sumagayan, Muslim Mindanao acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong and Provincial Governor Mamintal "Bombit" Alonto-Adiong Jr. lays down the capsule for the P29-million water works system in ground-breaking rites at barangay Petakus in Taraka town on Wednesday. Looking from left are Lanao Sur Rep. Fayzah RPM Dumarpa and ALIF party list Rep. Acmad Tomawis. The President, who was received by thousands of young and old villagers in Taraka, where her late gather former President Diosdado Macapagal set foot in 1965, also broke the ground for similar water works project in nearby Masiu town. An estimated 70,000 villagers, who have been getting drinking water from a muddy river, will benefit from the projects, Mayor Sumagayan, president of the Lanao del Sur mayors’ league, said. (Omar Mangorsi/bpi-armm)

Arroyo opens vital projects in south, bares growth in Muslim Mindanao

February 18, 2010


TARAKA, Lanao del Sur – Received warmly by thousands of young and old villagers here where her late father former President Diosdado Macapagal set foot in 1965, President Arroyo led Wednesday the ground breaking of a P29-million water works system to end the local residents’ dependence to muddy river for drinking water.

The President also formally opened here the P3.5-million public market building she bankrolled through her social fund three years ago to spur what she underscored as agri-business ventures needed to bring the rural town to greater heights.

Ms. Arroyo also broke the ground for a similar P29-million water work system in the nearby Masiu, the hometown of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, who informed here of the "monumental projects” former President Macapagal put up in the two rural towns in 1965.

In her brief speech, the lady chief executive lauded the administrations of Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal "Bombit" Alonto-Adiong Jr. and his younger brother, Muslim Mindanao acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin A. Adoing, saying that poverty in the Maranao province has been alleviated tremendously.

“I am happy to announce that Lanao del Sur has graduated from being one of the 10 poorest provinces in the country,” Ms. Arroyo said, stirring a resounding applause from thousands of young and old well-wishers and residents.

She said the incumbent local officials should continue to infuse agri-business projects in the province that would not only assure their residents three-square meals daily but also allow them to export agricultural crops to neighboring areas.

Gov. Adiong alongside his brother, the ARMM acting governor and Taraka Mayor Sumagayan, who chairs the provincial mayors’ league, said the President visit would boost the morale of her allies in pushing for the victory of administration candidates in the coming elections.

Mayor Sumagayan said with optimism the President would remain a national leader to keep serving Muslim areas because she will overwhelmingly get elected to a seat Pampanga’s Congressional district and to the House speakership eventually.

"Surely, she will make it in the Pampanga and in the House of Representatives, and her administration candidates will dominate Taraka town, the province of Lanao del Sur and the Muslim Mindanao region in the coming political exercises,” Sumagayan said.

Prior to her visit in Masiu town and here Wednesday, the President also inaugurated some infrastructure projects in Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, another component of the administration’s political bailiwick Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

She also visited the equally pro-administration officials of Sultan Kudarat province led by Rep. Pax Mangudadatu and his son, Governor Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu.

The President did not speak about politics in her latest Mindanao field sorties, but her local allies said the visits were a “big plus factor” for administration’s national bets led by their standard bearer former Defense Chief Gilbert Teodoro.

Interior and Local Governments Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a staunch campaigner for Teodoro, accompanied the President in Maguindanao where residents still reel from the nightmarish effect of the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people including 31 journalists. (Ali G. Macabalang)

Pact on deployment of 36,000 OFWs from ARMM to KL


Pact on deployment of 36,000 OFWs from ARMM to KL. Labor regional secretary Myra M. Alih of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (left) and Dato Sri Majaraja Di Raja Zulkepley Dahalan of the Malaysia-based G20 (seated next) sign an memorandum of understanding (MoU) prescribing the latter to recruit 36,000 household skilled workers from ARMM in six-year period starting this year at formal ceremonies in Kuala Lumpur last Feb. 3. Also shownin the photo are G20 vice chair Khor Kai Keng and Executive Seretary Fiona Low Yuet Leng. (Ali G. Macabalang/bpi-armm)

Deployment of 36,000 OFWs in Malaysia set in KL-ARMM pact

Here’s good news for domestic skilled works-seeking Filipinos, especially from the lagging and troubled communities of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The ARMM government and the G20, a group of prominent recruitment agencies in Malaysia, have sealed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) prescribing the latter to employ 36,000 household skilled workers (HSWs) from the component areas of the autonomous region within six-year period, acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong announced yesterday.

Adiong said a team from the ARMM’s Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) led by regional secretary Myra Mangkabung-.Alih inked the MoU with the G20 headed by chairman Dato Sri Maharaja Di Raja Zulkepley Dahalan in Kula Lumpur last Feb. 3.

Under the Mou, the G20 will recruit 500 HSWs from ARMM every month with free placement fees, flight fares, and board and lodging in Malaysia, an arrangement crafted especially for the economically-gripped communities in the five provinces and two cities of ARMM, Alih said.

ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said Secretary Alih would brief Adiong on the details of the MoU before she meets DOLE Secretary Marianito D. Roque this week in Manila as a prelude to the fixing of a “win-win” wage rate in the MoU.

The prevailing government monthly wage rate for overseas household workers is US$400, but the G20 would want a minimal adjustment for it to accommodate OFWs in magnitude, Alih said.

Alih said a follow-up meeting with the G20 officials within this or next month will fix the agreed monthly rate for the recruits from ARMM.

The fixed rate will be observed religiously by employers identified by the G20, contrary to other prevailing arrangements where OFWs have not actually been receiving fully what they signed for in contracts, Alih explained.

In her Feb. 3 meeting with G20 officials, Alih said, participating Malaysian recruitment agencies have also assured to help in the employment in Kula Lumpur of jobless graduates of technical and skill trainings under the ARMM’s Technical Education and Skill Development Authority.

Over 4,000 residents in ARMM have already graduated from TESDA-ARMM trainings in recent months, Sinarimbo said. (Ali G. Macabalang/bpi-armm)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

ARMM pushes for better ports

Cotabato City - The regional ports management of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) vies to improve ports services and revenue generation in the region as it pursues full devolution and further compliance to international maritime standards this year.

The management and technical staff of the 7 major seaports in the ARMM convened in a two-day conference, Feb. 15-16, to lay down viable plans to take on the considerably dismal condition of ports in the region.

Pagras Biruar, General Manager of the Regional Ports Management Authority (RPMA), said the conference is designed to have a thorough evaluation of present ports management and operation in the region and identify means for improvement.

Most of the problems faced by ARMM’s ports management stem from its not being entirely devolved to the autonomous government.

All 7 seaports have to rely on locally generated revenues to support their operation and respective workforce. The same problem has also led to intricacies that keep these ports from providing decent services and better revenue collection.

Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, ARMM executive secretary, said the incumbent regional leadership will place emphasis on the improvement of ports, to include airports, as “the ports mirror the region – the regional government and its people.”

He said people from outside ARMM get their first taste of the region via its ports upon their arrival and their impression of the ports somehow affects their perception of the region as a whole.

Sinarimbo said that it is “imperative to push for greater devolution.” The regional ports management authority is already devolved to the region. He said the regional government will work to have the corresponding plantilla positions devolved to the region as well.

Sinarimbo also said that they have talked to some funding agencies to seek support in the training of personnel on port management and would include port improvement among his talking points in his scheduled visit to Malaysia. (bpiarmm)

ARMM pushes for better ports

Cotabato City - The regional ports management of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) vies to improve ports services and revenue generation in the region as it pursues full devolution and further compliance to international maritime standards this year.

The management and technical staff of the 7 major seaports in the ARMM convened in a two-day conference, Feb. 15-16, to lay down viable plans to take on the considerably dismal condition of ports in the region.

Pagras Biruar, General Manager of the Regional Ports Management Authority (RPMA), said the conference is designed to have a thorough evaluation of present ports management and operation in the region and identify means for improvement.

Most of the problems faced by ARMM’s ports management stem from its not being entirely devolved to the autonomous government.

All 7 seaports have to rely on locally generated revenues to support their operation and respective workforce. The same problem has also led to intricacies that keep these ports from providing decent services and better revenue collection.

Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, ARMM executive secretary, said the incumbent regional leadership will place emphasis on the improvement of ports, to include airports, as “the ports mirror the region – the regional government and its people.”

He said people from outside ARMM get their first taste of the region via its ports upon their arrival and their impression of the ports somehow affects their perception of the region as a whole.

Sinarimbo said that it is “imperative to push for greater devolution.” The regional ports management authority is already devolved to the region. He said the regional government will work to have the corresponding plantilla positions devolved to the region as well.

Sinarimbo also said that they have talked to some funding agencies to seek support in the training of personnel on port management and would include port improvement among his talking points in his scheduled visit to Malaysia. (bpiarmm)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

No sugar shortage, price hike in ARMM - DTI official

COTABATO CITY – There is no shortage of sugar supply and sharp price hike of such commodity in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, officials of the ARMM’s trade and industry department assured Monday.

Lawyer Asnaira Batua, ARMM-Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary, in her report to acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, said the five-province and two-city region has a buffer stock of sugar enough to last for at least three months.

“We have enough supply of sugar in the region. While the demand is high and there’s no price increase,” Batua assured amid reports of sugar shortage and sharp price hikes in other parts of the country.

She said the component areas of ARMM are “not really affected” by sugar price hike, citing the situation in Maguindanao the stuff’s price is low due to low transportation or freight cost. The local cost of white sugar cost is P45 per kilo gram while brown sugar is P34 a kilo, she added.

In Lanao del Sur, Batua said, the province's sufficient sugar supply come from Iligan and Bukidnon and is sold at P46 per kilo for white sugar and P54 per kilo for brown.

The DTI-ARMM official assured that her field personnel have been closely monitoring sugar supply and prices in different establishments in the region in coordination with the Local Price Monitoring Councils of the local government units (LGUs).

Batua said that in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi there is enough supply of sugar. “They’re supply come from Sabah”. In Jolo, Sulu white sugar cost P52, brown sugar cost P40 per kilo while in Tawi-Tawi, white cost P40 and brown cost P50 per kilo.

In Basilan, Batua said brown sugar cost P48 while white sugar cost P55/ kilo.

Meanwhile, Batua said there is no report on any violation on overpricing of cement in the region.

The young secretary who is also a lawyer appealed to all consumers in the region to be vigilant and immediately report to DTI office and law enforcers on any irregularity on the product and if its overpriced. (bpi-armm)

Employment of 10,000 youth in ARMM mulled

COTABATO CITY – The new administration of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is pushing for the empowerment of the youth sector in the region via employment or migration scheme it crafted in a two-day workshop here.

“The concern of the youth should be the concern of everyone” said ARMM’s Labor and Employment regional secretary Myra Alih) during the Inception Workshop on Millennium Development Goals concerning Youth, Employment and Migration (MDG-YEM) held at Hotel Castro on February 15-16.

Officials of ARMM and the provincial government of Maguindanao conducted the the 2-day workshop, which was participated in by youth organizations from the province who helped draft an action plan on varied alternatives to provide them decent local and overseas jobs.

Alih stressed that despite the problems faced by Filipino youth especially in Maguindanao such as poverty, armed conflicts, child exploitation in combat and child labor, the ARMM governance led by acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong would “never give up” on empowering the youth.

In different occasions, the 40-year old Adiong, the youngest ARMM chief executive, has emphasized the need to make the youth “productive citizens.”

THE MDG-YEM is a project funded by foreign donors International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the initiative of DOLE-ARMM.

It is also assisted by other government agencies in ARMM including Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Youth Commission (NYC), National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The program started on July 2009 and would run for a three (3) year period. In Maguindanao, the program was already launched last October 26, 2009 at ORG Compound wherein problems and concerns of the youth residing in the area were initially tackled.

A total of 10,000 poor and vulnerable young men and women aging 15-24 years old are targeted to be the beneficiaries of the said project. They must be high school graduate of an out-of school youth, in-school youth, OFW or youth left behind by OFW parents.

Aside from Maguindanao, three (3) other -provinces are recipients of the MDG-YEM. These are Agusan del Sur, Antique and Masbate.

Fatima Cherry Pangilamen, YEM Focal Person and Provincial Head, Maguindanao, DOLE-ARMM, said the initial funding for the MDG-YEM in Maguindanao is approximately 80 million pesos.

The project seeks to enable youth to be productive and competitive. This is through promotion of the entry and retention of youth in local job markets, creation of opportunities for sustainable livelihood, improvement of access to and retention in secondary education and harnessing remittances to contribute to the development of employment alternatives for youth.

“Through the YEM window, the MDG Achievement Fund, seeks to support interventions that promote sustainable productive employment and decent work for young people either at national or local level, including through a better management of the positive and negative effects of migration and by enhancing local capacities to develop, implement and monitor effective policies and programs in this domain” Pangilamen added. (Haj Kabalu/bpi-armm)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

ARMM and DENR national ink MOA on Upland Development Program

Cotabato City – The Autonomous Regional Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) national has recently forged a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Upland Development Program.

The ARMM team led by DENR Regional Secretary Usman Saranggani singed the MOA with his national counterpart, secretary Eleazar Quinto on February 4, 2010 in Metro Manila.

The Upland Development Program is a national government undertaking aimed at supporting the implementation and sustainability of forestry program to reduce the impact of the global financial crisis in the country, and enhance the country’s capacity to adapt to climate change.

Sec. Sarangani said the P28-million worth program could improve productivity and strengthen the soil and water conservation functions of forest lands as upland agricultural farms through agroforestry and reforestation schemes in the autonomous region, sec. Saranggani said.

With this signing of the agreement, effective management and protection of the forest and forest lands in the region such as watersheds, mangroves, urban parks, coastal zones and protected areas would be a joint-focal activity, Sarangani said

The agreement took into consideration the potentials of these areas that play a vital role in providing water for irrigation, power and potable water system, he added stressed.

The program will also improve incomes for farmers in upland areas and is expected to create thousands of jobs through forest and watersheds rehabilitation in support of the government’s initiatives to mitigate hunger and poverty reduction program.

Major activities of the said program will be the establishment and operation of nurseries, development of forest plantations and agroforestry farms, rehabilitation of river banks and watershed areas, enrichment planting of inadequately stocked areas and assisted natural regeneration. (bpi-armm)

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

ARMM Teachers' welfare campaign launched

February 9, 2010

COTABATO CITY – The new administration of the Department of Education (DepEd) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has kicked off a campaign against unauthorized deductions or contributions from the pay checks of teachers in the region, starting with Lanao del Sur where the illegal scheme was reported rampant.

On his 6th day in office and upon order of regional governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, newly installed DepEd-ARMM Secretary Hamid Barra personally distributed the January pay checks to more than 10,000 teachers from the five (5) divisions of Lanao del Sur province on February 6, 2010 at the Provincial Capitol Gym in Marawi City.

Barra said he was personally directed by the regional governor to “make sure that no teacher will go home without his paycheck.”

The inter-personal distribution of checks in Lanao del Sur was first of its kind designed to minimize if not eliminate cases of illegal “contributions” allegedly exacted by local education officials from as much as P1,700 each teacher per month.

Barra said the Adiong leadership is seriously committed to give what is due to teachers. “We mean business this time,” he stressed.

He said the January pay checks of teachers in Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were distributed on time through the “usual process” at the division levels.

DepEd-ARMM has more than 22,000 personnel across the region, about 90 percent of which are teachers.

In an interview, Barra stressed that he accepted his appointment in the DepEd on condition he could introduce drastic reforms in the department, something Adiong approved.

“He (Adiong) also wants reforms in DepEd-ARMM. We have the same concern,” Barra said.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno installed Adiong as acting governor last Dec. 11 following the detention of Regional Governor Zaldy Ampatuan in connection with the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao, and on the heel of reports that teacher-applicants were exacted P100,000 to P150,000 each to get appointed.

Barra said his agency will soon establish a hot line where in teachers and stakeholders could convey their concerns and suggestions thru text messages or call.

Barra is determined to implement reforms based on his four (4) core values – knowledge, faith, virtue and practice.

The department is conducting Comprehensive Evaluation and Assessment before reforms will take place and this comes in three phases.

Surprise visits will be conducted to inspect physical facilities of schools in the region and to conduct meetings with school heads to listen to their reports and issues and concerns.

Barra assures that the issues and concerns submitted to his office will be looked into. Teachers from all over the region submitted issues like the unremitted GSIS contributions and arrears, delayed approval of appointments and reclassification and the unpaid salaries of some teachers.

“We will gradually deal with all these issues and concerns. We will look for strategies to solve these concerns of our teachers in the region,” Barra said.

A compliance and management audit will be conducted to assess the extent if teachers are in conformity with the standing rules and regulation of the department and the finance and personnel of the school or office will also be verified.

Barra also warned fixers in the department that they will be sanctioned if proven that they are involved in the “selling of appointments”.

“There will be no sale of items. Those who passed the examination, give them what they deserved. Items are not for sale,” Barra stressed.

He called on the more than 20,000 teachers all over the region to do their job and be committed to the profession. “We are here to work as a team, to work for the future of our children. This is for their education,” Barra stressed. (johenry/bpi-armm)

Women empowerment.


Hadja Pombaen Kader, social welfare regional assistant secretary in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, assures members of the Badak Women Association of her agency's assistance during the two-day women assembly recently at Barangay Badak, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. The Badak Women Association is groomed to become a model community women group in the ARMM. (bpi-armm)

08 February 2010


DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao – One hundred women benefited from a two-day women’s assembly organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) to make them accessible to government services and projects.


These beneficiaries belong to the Badak Women Association composed Moro and Tiruray women from different sitios of Barangay Badak.


According to DSWD-ARMM assistant secretary Pombaen Kader, the assembly enables these women craft plans and programs strengthen their association with the assistance of ARMM agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), and the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA).


With the support of DSWD-ARMM, the Badak Women Association has been recipient of the Learning Livelihood and Food Sufficiency (LLFS) program of the ARMM Social Fund Projects through its Community Development Assistance (CDA), which promotes local women empowerment, said Kader, who is concurrent acting DSWD-ARMM secretary.


The LLFS program trains participants on livelihood and income-generating activities, and also undertakes functional literacy training that requires 150-hour classroom sessions under the non-formal education by the Department of Education (DepEd).


The training provides women and mothers especially from the far-flung areas basic ability to read and write as well as mathematics. It also affords them technical, financial and material support for the household food sufficiency which is designed to address the nutritional needs of their families.


Ms. Jennylyn Yap of the DSWD-ARMM said that their office is now planning to make Badak Women Association as model women group in the entire region for them to continuously avail of the services of the women’s welfare program of the DSWD-ARMM.


About 270 communities are being targeted for the Learning Livelihood and Food Sufficiency as part of its sustainability program under the CDA component of the ARMM Social Fund Project. (bpi-armm)

Sunday, February 7, 2010


One scholar, one town program. A Maranao students from one ofr higher educational institution in Lanao del Sur (right) receives from ARMM acting Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong her certificate of scholarship as CHED-ARMM Chair Norma Sharief (second from left) and her two subordinate officials look on at the opening of the first regional solidarity games, academic and cultural events competitions in Marawi City on Wednesday. (Ali G. Macabalang)

Adiong opens ARMM’s inter-collegiate competitions One town, one scholar program launched

February 4, 2010


MARAWI CITY – The Commission on Higher Education of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CHED-ARMM) opened here on Wednesday its first regional solidarity games, academic and cultural events competitions covering initially 20 of the region’s higher educational institutions (HEIs) due to operational kinks.

Acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Alonto graced the opening rites of the four-day affairs, which was held in conjunction with the awarding of scholarship grant for each of the 117 towns in the region.

In addition to the regular one scholar, one town program slots, CHED-ARMM Chair Norma Sharief commended the 20 participating HEIs from Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur including Marawi City by awarding them one scholarship slot each.

In his extemporaneous speech in vernacular, Adiong Adiong urged the participating students to harness their sports and academic prowess to be able to achieve brighter prospects.

Adiong cited the current emergence of Filipino sportsmen Like Manny Pacquiao in the global scene should stimulate the in-school youth to strive hard.

“Your successes in sports and academic endeavours would mean the success of our region at least,” Adiong said.

The four-day affair here covered sports games, cultural and academic events.

The games category covered badminton, chess, table teniis, karatedo, lawn tennis, swimming, taekwondo for individuals, and basket, baseball, football, softball, sepak takraw and volleyball for teams.

The cultural category includes awit saya, tipa at tugtugan (solo instrument), lihawit (song-writing), ginoo at binibining Pamantasan (pageant) for individuals; awit-saya for duet, sayawitan (sing and dance choir) sayaw Pinoy (Filipino creative folk-ethnic dance) for groups.

Winners in this regional competition will represent the ARMM to the national level, which will be held in Pasig , Metro Manila on February 23-29 with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as officiating guest of honor, Sharief said.

The academic category covers impromptu speech, oration, poetry interpretation, story-telling, science quiz, math quiz and computer quiz for individuals, and debate for groups.

Sharief said the CHED-ARMM was one week late in holding the four-day affair due to the delay in the release of funding support from Manila spawned by operational kinks in her agency’s recent leadership turnovers.

As a result of the regional operation’s hitches, HEIs in the island provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi did not make it to send delegates to the competitions here, said Sharief, who hoped for a wider participation in the second phase of the activity next year. (Ali G. Macabalang)

Maguindanao governorship still vacant – ARMM officials

February 2, 2010


(Ref.: Ali G. Macabalang, BPI-ARMM)

COTABATO CITY – Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) yesterday doused cold water on the debates over reports that acting OIC-Governor Nariman Ambolodto of Maguindanao might be replaced by a new appointee in the provincial leadership.

The issue at hand is not a matter of replacing Amboldto but to fill up a vacancy in the office of the Maguindanao governor, which is still vacant, ARMM officials clarified yesterday.

Civil society representatives had aired dismay after Local Government Undersecretary Marius Corpus announced in Metro Manila on Jan. 28 that the ARMM leadership has created a search committee for at least 27 aspirants to the vacant position for Maguindanao governor.

Corpus purportedly described the search “as part of overall efforts by the government to normalize operations in the said province” following the fateful massacre of 57 people including at least 31 journalists that resulted to the imposition of a short-lived martial law and the suspension cum detention of some officials including Maguindanao top leaders.

A day after the national government installed him into office last Dec. 14 as acting regional governor, Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong had appointed Engr. Nasser Sinarimbo and Amboldto, an incumbent board member, as OIC- governor and OIC-vice governor, respectively to fill the top Maguindanao leadership vacancies.

But Engr. Sinarimbo refused to assume office to pursue his career service in the ARMM bureaucracy, prompting Local Governments Secretary Ronaldo Puno to install Ambolodto as OIC-vice governor on concurrent capacity as acting OIC-governor on Dec. 15.

Civil society groups including women’s sector and Church-backed NGOs have since shown satisfaction with the Ambolodto transitional governance.

But some interested resident leaders of Maguindanao have invoked to higher authorities and legal luminaries that the position of OIC-governor in Maguindanao is still vacant.

Hence, at least 27 of them have aspired for the slot, prompting acting ARMM Governor Adiong to create the search committee chaired by regional DILG Secretary Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman Jr. to screen them.

“Everyone is encouraged to apply or submit application (for the position),” said Adiong, who anchors his administration on the operating principles of transparent, consultative and moral governance.

ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo, a lawyer, said Ambolodto “may apply and be considered” in the screening process.

The issue at hand is not a matter of replacing Amboldto but to fill up a vacancy in the office of the Maguindanao governor, Sinarimbo said. (AGM/bpi-ARMM)

AusAID likely to extend education program in ARMM with US$33-M fund

February 1, 2010

COTABATO CITY – The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) is likely to extend up to ten years its bankrolled Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM), this time focusing only to the depressed communities of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a total fund of US$33-million.

This was announced Monday by ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo during the oath-taking rites here of lawyer Hamid Barra, who was earlier appointed by acting Regional Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong as regional secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“He (Barra) will be playing a main role in the extended BEAM projects,” Sinarimbo told reporters covering the oath-taking ceremony he administered.

Adiong and Mitra enthusiastically discussed the extension of BEAM program in ARMM alone in five to ten years after they signed last January 27 at the Australian Embassy in Manila a memorandum of agreement providing for a US$5-million AusAID fund for the first year of the extended deal, Sinarimbo earlier said in a live radio interview here.

“The additional good news is that they (Adiong and Mitra) agreed in principle on a new system through which the program will be extended from five to ten years…with a total funding package of US$33-million for the ARMM alone,” he said in Pilipino.

Sinarimbo said the extended BEAM program seeks to intensify the AusAID intervention in addressing the sad statistics in ARMM on high dropouts, elementary undergraduates, classrooms shortage, and inappropriate teachers’ instructional skills.

He said the proposed education program extension covers only the elementary level. For high schools that are equally needing improvements, the ARMM government will have to conduct study and present proposals to prospect sponsors, he added. (bpi-armm)