UN to assist ARMM IDPs in early recovery, livelihood programs

ARMM Executive Secretary Oscar Sampulna Sr. (left) assures the United Nations that the ARMM Regional Government will work collectively with the UN system to completely rebuild the plight of IDPs brought by skirmishes and recent flooding in the region. UN officials Jacqui Badcock and Matthew Serventy (2nd and 3rd from left) paid visit at the Office of the Regional Governor on September 9 to collaborate with regional government’s strategies in ensuring IDPs security. The UN pledges to provide various assistance to the regional government especially on early recovery and livelihood issues. Also present in the meeting are TMS Director Ramil Masukat and BPI Director Samson Gogo.


COTABATO CITY – The United Nations (UN) assures the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Government that it would extend various assistance to completely rebuild distressing plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) affected by recent sporadic skirmishes and flooding in different areas of the region, according to a UN official in her visit to the Office of the Regional Governor on September 08.

Jacqui Badcock, UN Resident Coordinator, consulted several representatives of ARMM line agencies particularly Regional Disaster Coordinating Committee (RDCC), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Technical Management Services (TMS) to comprehend ARMM Regional Government’s strategy in ensuring IDPs security.

She also wanted to grasp how the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) implement the Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) and Suspension of Military Actions (SOMA), respectively, but reiterated, “we are willing to assist you in any ways.”

Ramil Masukat, TMS Director, said that the ARMM Regional Government had already submitted its early recovery and rehabilitation plans to DSWD Central Office and now awaiting response.

“There’s no guarantee if there will never be skirmishes again in their communities. That is why, we worry the situation of IDPs here particularly in the province of Maguindanao,” Masukat said.

Masukat disclosed that “while waiting for DSWD’s reply,” the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) will be meeting the Peace and Development Officers (MPDOs) of different municipalities in Maguindanao to design urgent programs for IDPs plight.

A two-day Strategic Planning session with UN and social welfare officers (MSWDOs) of different municipalities in Maguindanao was also proposed.

Further, Humanitarian Affairs Officer Matthew Serventy of UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suggested strengthening the cluster system approach of the regional government to ensure consolidation of data, actions taken and other plans of different ARMM line agencies.

He also proposed that “if cluster trainings will be pushed through,” ARMM regional government may focus on two settings -- armed conflict and disaster response -- “from regional level down to provincial [level] to immediately take actions if clashes and flooding will occur.”

In the end, Badcock reassures that the United Nations is keen in assisting the ARMM Regional Government and that it would provide technical assistance “especially on early recovery and livelihood issues.”

Lawyer Oscar Sampulna Sr., ARMM Executive Secretary, in response, said that the ARMM Regional Government promises to collectively work with the UN system and that consolidated data from ARMM line agencies are organized for review and reference.

ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, also the chair of RDCC, directed beforehand all ARMM line agencies to utilize resources and exhaust means to warrant the protection of IDPs in evacuation centers as well as victims of flooding that recently plagued the region. (BPI-ARMM*)

IDPs in Northern Kabuntalan receive help in rebuilding community

Cotabato City - The Government of the Philippines - United Nations (GoP-UN) ACT for Peace Programme, through its Strengthening Response to Internal Displacement (StRIDe) Mindanao Project, turned-over last week package of assistance to residents of Barangay Damatog in Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao who have been displaced by the latest military conflict and flooding in the area.

The assistance includes the construction of 40 core shelters amounting to P2 Million, a barangay health station, the establishment of a Botika ng Barangay and some livelihood support.

The residents will do the construction work themselves under a ‘food for work’ scheme which also serves as counterpart of the local government of Northern Kabuntalan.

Around 120 displaced families were provided with tools such as fish nets, farm implements and sewing machines as well as chicks for poultry production to help start over their livelihood. Beneficiaries were also given hygiene kits.
The assistance is intended to help residents rebuild their lives with multi-stakeholder’s support.

Mayor Ramil Dilangalen said residents of Damatog suffered heavy losses from the sporadic clashes and severe flood. “We are happy and grateful to receive this package of assistance from StRIDe Mindanao Project. It goes a long way in helping these residents get back to their normal life,” he said.

Funded by the European Commission, StRIDe Mindanao Project is supporting the rehabilitation of a total of 30 conflict-affected communities in Mindanao, 6 of which, including Barangay Damatog, are in Maguindanao.

The project aims to contribute to the “establishment of a durable solution to internal displacement by improving delivery of assistance to victims of armed conflicts, promoting IDP rights and strengthening response to prevent displacement.”

Among those who graced the turnover ceremony was Camille Hagstrom, Deputy Director for Operations of the European Commission, who was delighted to see the projects and all the stakeholders. Barangay Damatog, she said, would be “a very good example that IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) can start to rebuild.”

She said the ongoing rehabilitation in Damatog “proves that this is feasible”.

After only being displaced for 3 months, most residents of Damatog were the first among those in the 11 barangays affected by conflict in Northern Kabuntalan to start returning home.

All stakeholders have upheld a ‘covenant for the safe return of IDPs’ among the officials of the 11 barangays, municipal officials, military and IDP leaders that was forged in May this year after a series of dialogues. (bpi-armm)

BEAM awards P19M-grant to ARMM public schools

Heads of School Governing Councils in the province of Maguindanao headed by DepEd-Maguindanao Division Superintendent Meriam Kawit (third from right) received on September 3, this year, the P3M-school grant [parcel of the P19M-grant] from AusAID through BEAM that would help reinforce the School-Based Management program being implemented in public schools in ARMM. Three hundred eighty (380) public schools from 11 school divisions around the region have benefited the grant. Leading the awarding ceremony were AusAID Acting Project Director Ramon C. Bobier (second from right) and AusAID Acting Deputy Project Director Rosemary Green (extreme right).



COTABATO CITY – The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) received today [September 03] a P19 million-school grant from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) through the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) that seeks to provide reinforcement to the School-Based Management (SBM) program being implemented in public schools in the region.

The SBM, which is designed to advance the quality and access of students to basic education has two key activities – the implementation of School Improvement Plan (SIP) and strengthening of School Governing Councils (SGC) – through building capacities of school administrators and teachers as well as bracing engagement of parents and the community to education stakeholders. More than a hundred individuals who were members of SGC, Local School Boards (LSB) and Parents, Teachers and Community Association (PTCA) attended the ceremony at the Estosan Garden Hotel here.

Ramon C. Bobier, Acting Australian Project Director for BEAM, said at the signing ceremony that the school grant will boost and sustain efforts to continually support public schools’ implementation of SIP.

“This grant is especially drafted for ARMM to augment the needs of its public schools – to enhance your schools, not only physically, but the quality of the learning outcomes of each ARMM student,” Bobier said.

The school grant, which will be allocated in three modes, benefits 380 public schools from 11 school divisions around the five-province autonomous region – Basilan (26), Lamitan (8), Sulu I (42), Sulu II (40), Tawi-Tawi (45), Marawi (13), Lanao del Sur I-A (31), Lanao del Sur II-A (42), Lanao del Sur II-B (29) and Maguindanao (61). The selection of the school-grant recipient had meet the following criteria – actively implementing its SIP with stakeholders, has organized and functional SGC and is using BEAM Learning Guides.

The modes are (1) Incentive-First Time, where P50,000 is apportioned to a performing school that meets that criteria and first time to receive the grant, (2) Incentive-Second Grant, where P30,000 is allotted to a performing school that has been a recipient of the DepEd National SBM Grant but is selected again for being able to meet the criteria and (3) Grant for Disadvantaged Schools, where P50,000 is allocated to remote and far-flung areas that needs financial assistance in the SIP implementation.

Beforehand, the recipients had undergone series of trainings to ensure effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their respective school improvement plans. Training component is one of the elements of the school grant.

Bobier added, “These beneficiaries were trained prior the distribution of grants. They have to go through financial management training to guarantee that their funds will be safeguarded properly. We just pray that they [beneficiaries] will use this grant effectively to totally upgrade the quality of basic education in the ARMM.”

The BEAM had already trained 2,017 school heads in the region on planning for school improvement and other mechanisms. Workshops were also conducted to develop the plans according to the existent needs of the school which eventually functioned as blueprint for school development.

ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, grateful to BEAM’s continuous assistance to the education sector of ARMM, earlier appealed to the recipients of the grant programs to “utilize them effectively.” (BPI-ARMM*)

ARMM celebrates 109th Philippine Service Anniversary

COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) commenced today the month-long commemoration of the 109th Anniversary of the Philippine Service which focuses on recognizing public servants who display exemplary performances towards a quality and productive services to the public.

Themed “Honoring our Heroes in Republic Service – Responsive, Ethical Public Servants with Vision, Impact, Commitment and Excellence,” the Civil Service Commission in the region (CSC-ARMM) emphasizes the devotion, honesty, excellence and sacrifices of heroes in service both to the public and republic.

ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, in his address, salutes all public servants “whose invaluable contributions earned them the rightful place as heroes.”

CSC-ARMM Assistant Commissioner Elmer R. Bartolata cited CSC Memorandum Circular No. 27, Series of 2009, “that the best way for public servants to honor the heroes among us, is not just to extol and reward their achievements, but to emulate their example through republic service.”

Also, in his message, CSC Chairman Ricardo L. Saludo reiterated that “a public servant should be ethical in the highest order of principle and imbue our life with deepest integrity to remain public trust and support.

“The interest and welfare of the people shall always be at hand. The public must come before its servants, as the civil service motto states, "Mamamayan Muna," Saludo further said.

In adherence, the CSC-ARMM is persistent on the completion of agency's Citizen's Charter, help desks and anti-fixer campaigns and staff seminars on customer service as provided by the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA) of 2007 to immediately address public needs and concerns.

The entire September celebration comprises parlor games, clean up and tree planting, provincial and regional quiz bee and inter-agency friendship games; and will culminate by awarding the Outstanding Officials and Employees in the ARMM, Cultural Show and Family Day.

Regional Governor Ampatuan further challenged civil servants in the region “to commit yourselves to maintaining the standards of civil service at its highest, of keeping the moral and ethical standards of serving the country and of delivering to the people the public service they deserve.”

He urged all personnel of government agencies in the region, local government units, government-owned or controlled corporations and state universities and colleges to take part in the celebration.

“I hope this celebration will further inspire each of us to keep up with the principles of being an ideal and efficient public servant. The ARMM regional leadership is committed to provide a working environment conducive to the professional growth and development of government employees,” Ampatuan said. (BPI-ARMM*)