RECOGNITION - The Department of Education XII

RECOGNITION - The Department of Education XII - Schools Division of Cotabato City through presented a Certificate of Congratulations to City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi for the official's commitment and dedication to public service in Cotabato City. 

(CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DepEd-ARMM honors “outstanding” teachers

PRESENTING the 10 Outstanding Bangsamoro Teachers in the ARMM. (Bureau of Public Information – ARMM)

COTABATO CITY - The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) honored 10 Outstanding Bangsamoro Teachers last October 5 in celebration of the 2016 World Teachers’ Day.

Dr. John Magno, DepEd-ARMM secretary, said the awards serve as recognition for the invaluable services of teachers in the learning and development processes of students in the region and to the education department itself.

Citing a story of a master teacher in the region qualified for promotion as school principal, or district supervisor, but chose to remain a classroom teacher, Dr.Magno noted he has high regards to the “unsung heroes” of the nation in reference to the teachers.

“Malaki ang respeto ko sa mga gurona ang iniisip ay ang kinabukasan ng kabataan at hindi ang kanilang pansariling interes,” Dr.Magno said.

Jaime Mendoza, Jr. of Parang National High School in Parang, Maguindanao was one of the awardees. He served as a classroom teacher for many years and is now the English department head in his school.

Mendoza said he is proud to be among the 10 outstanding teachers in the region. “I am much honored being named as an outstanding teacher of the ARMM,” he said. As of 2016, there are 29,992 public elementary, junior high school, and senior high school teachers across the region.

The ARMM is composed of nine schools divisions namely: Maguindanao I and II, Marawi City, Lanao Sur I and II, Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi. Each schools division nominated three teachers for the award.

A total of 25 teacher qualifiers underwent screenings that included panel interviews, written examinations, teaching demonstration, and a review of qualifiers’ pertinent documents.

The five winners in the elementary school category are:
Fridanovie Rabor of Datu Saililah Elementary School, Maguindanao I Division;
Gideon Dable of Limpongo Elementary School, Maguindanao I Division;
Susan Berganio of Nuro Central Elementary School, Maguindanao II Division; Maria Helena Barlovento of Maluso Central Elementary School, Basilan Division; and
Romel Plando of Hji. Yunos Jumdain Elementary School, Tawi-Tawi Division.

Aside from Mendoza, the four other winners in the secondary school category are:  Asnawi Rakiin of Datu Mamintal Adiong National High School, Lanao Sur I Division;
Primo Sanosa, Jr. of Malabang National High School, Lanao Sur II Division;
Melba Abdulla of Maluso National High School, Basilan Division; and
Grace Ann Pangambayan of Sulu National High School, Sulu Division.

The winners were conferred with plaques and cash prizes. The regional celebration had the theme “Guro Kabalikat sa Pagbabago.” (Bureau of Public Information – ARMM / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DTI-ARMM holds 1st franchising expo

COTABATO CITY - The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (ARMM) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-ARMM) conducted the 1st Franchising Expo last October 4 at the region’s seat in Cotabato City.

The expo, DTI-ARMM Secretary Atty. Anwar Malang said, provided the participants knowledge on entrepreneurship and business development.

The activity featured four speakers who discussed the various aspects of business and franchising opportunities in the region. It also featured talks from experts on trends in the field of franchising.

Atty. Malang sees an upward growth of the region’s economy, noting that the franchising expo provides an opportunity for business seekers and those who are planning to expand an existing business to gain valuable knowledge, insight, and guidance.

Norma Arcega-Oro, DTI-ARMM senior trade-industry development specialist, discussed ways and techniques on how to start a business. A team from Metrobank, meanwhile, shared inputs on how to fund a business venture and manage capital.

Jed Arboleda, Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) consultant, said the potential for the growth of franchising in the ARMM is high. “Franchising is one of the best ways to increase the number of stores because you use other people’s money,” he said.

He also discussed ways on how to invest in the right franchise, educating the participants in making wise decisions before investing. Officials and employees of the different line-agencies, academe, and local businessmen attended the activity.

Last October 5, the general public joined a business matching event at the ORG Compound in Cotabato City. The activity was a joint effort of the DTI-ARMM and PFA. (Bureau of Public Information – ARMM / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Samaritan’s Purse extends aid in city

AIDELY YOURS - City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi (3rd from right) with the Samaritan's Purse and City Social Welfare Officer Cheribin Viloria (2nd from left). - CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO

International non-government organization Samaritan's Purse met with Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi to present to the official its recent accomplishments ever since it started operating in the city this year.

Samaritan's Purse's latest activity was the celebration of the Nutrition Month last September in selected barangays in the city by conducting a cooking festival that featured highly nutritious food, and children's fair. It’s highlight activity, the “Sa Bayang Pagpapasuso,” enjoined more than 700 mothers in Barangay Rosary Heights 8  to breastfeed their babies.

In partnership with the city's Office on Social Welfare and Development Services, the Samaritan's Purse has been implementing projects and activities for the city's Day Care Centers. They have sponsored the construction and/or improvement of group handwashing stations, latrines, and water connections in several of these centers.

Aside from these facilities, this NGO has also been rolling hygiene promotion materials to at least 1,872 day care center pupils.

This month, the Samaritan's Purse will be celebrating the Global Handwashing Day on October 11 at the Note Dame Village gymnasium. A temporary handwashing facility will be constructed at the covered court to highlight the main event of the program for the simultaneous hand washing of about 300 children.

Aside from the Global Handwashing Day, it will hold the World Toilet Day.

Samaritan's Purse Deputy Country Director Selwyn Swamidoss said the organization has been operating in the Philippines since the typhoon Yolanda struck the country. At first, the SP was only concentrating on giving out relief assistance in Tacloban, the city where Yolanda struck the worst.

But this year, the organization has shifted from giving relief to aiding local government units in their quest for development and the improvement of the lives of its citizens, especially the young ones.

Swamidoss said Cotabato City is one of the areas that the Samaritan’s Purse has chosen for the expansion of their services, giving more assistance to the people of this city.

City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi expressed her sincere gratitude to the officials and staff of the Samaritan's Purse for all their support and assistance to the city's day care centers.

"Your organization has truly helped us in our quest to becoming the most child-friendly city in the entire country. This year, we have just received recognition from Malacañang for being the 2nd Most Child-friendly City in the independent component city category," the mayor said.

Samaritan's Purse has been operating for over 40 years now and has started in the United States of America. It has only started assisting the city early this year.

Cotabato City has a total of 62 day care centers with 2,528 children enrolled. As of date, only 10 of these day care centers have no hand washing facilities but these will be constructed with the approval of the Bottoms Up Budget projects and with the help of the Samaritan's Purse.  (HALIMA K. SATOL-IBRAHIM – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Bangsamoro Youth Affairs to pursue sector development

 

Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr of CDO-BYA

COTABATO CITY - The Coordinating and Development Office on the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (CDO-BYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is bound to strengthen the implementation of its mandate in coordination with other line-agencies pertaining to youth affairs programs, issues, and concerns.

Salic Sharief, Jr., executive directorof CDO-BYA, said that based on Article 15, Section 7 of Republic Act 9054, the autonomous regional government is mandated to create the Office on Youth Affairs.

“This was created in recognition of the vital role of youth in the task of regional development towards nation building. It is mandated to develop, promote, and protect the physical, economic, political, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth in the autonomous region for regional development and nation building,” said Sharief.

Moreover, Sharief said the issues and concerns of the youth sector have to be centralized within their office before it is properly endorsed into different government line-agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women (RCBW).

“There must be coordination between and among line-agencies in the ARMM when it comes to catering with the various youth concerns. The ulterior objective of this office is to simply showcase relevant programs to empower the youth and out-of-school youth (OSY) and it includes monetary assistance so they could start with their very own livelihood activity,” said Sharief.

Sharief added that their office also gives awards to the youths with exemplary contributions in the society.

“This way, our young ones would be inspired as we help them land a better career for their own future.Technology nowadays is more than a set of skills or a tool for learning. On the Internet alone, youths can communicate, learn, and come together to tackle interesting issues that might catch their attention,” he said.

He said their vision is to build a just, peaceful, and humane society where it upholds the rights and enhances the capacity of the youth to live life at fullest according to the well-set morals and traditions.

“The Bangsamoro Youth is a product of our continuing quest for freedom and a just society. Challenges will always be there to test the strength of capacity to introduce transformative change and good governance to improve the lives of the Bangsamoro people,” said Sharief.

As part of their priority program, The Bangsamoro Young Leaders Program – Leadership Communities (or BYLP-LeadCom) was launched last September 11 at the Regional Education Learning Center of the Department of  Education-ARMM.

The BYLP-LeadCom is the initiative of a consortium composed of the Ayala Foundation, Inc., the Eisenhower Fellows Association of the Philippines, and the Office of the Regional Governor. The program has evolved from last year’s Basilan Young Leaders Program (BYLP).

At least 35 young Bangsamoro fellows were officially introduced as their 12-month leadership journey officially begins.

The launching was attended by the president of the AFI, RuelMaranan, the executive director of EFAP, Ariel Hernandez, Eisenhower Fellow ’99 Danilo Songco, and ARMM Governor Mujiv S. Hataman.

Earlier, the CDO-BYA also concluded last month a two-day job interview of applicants coming from the mainland provinces of the ARMM.

“We have opened doors to new applicants who are willing to serve the youth sector of the Bangsamoro. Coincidentally, a significant number of job-seekers applying for the vacant posts fall within the youth age bracket (15-30 years old),” said Sharief.

Accordingly, the panel of interviewers consisted of Executive Director Abdulhamid Alawi, Jr. of the Administrative Management Services and Manal Sugadol of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary.

Furthermore, the mission of the CDO-BYA are as follows: to enhance and promote the active involvement of the youths in the context of regional development and national-building; to promote and protect the physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being of the youth; to inculcate into the minds and hearts of the youth the importance of brotherhood and camaraderie and inter-faith solidarity and its contribution towards the making of a great nation that enjoys the blessing of unity in diversity; and to promote and maintain the image and role of the youth as vital members of the society playing significant participation and support to all activities geared toward regional development and nation-building.

Meanwhile, with regards to the powers and functions, the office shall: provide institutional and effective youth plans and programs in the ARMM to ensure active participation in the government; develop viable measures, institutionalizing youth-related program and activities between the ORG and the youth sector in the area of autonomy; institute plans and recommend programs policies for executive issuance and in aid of regional legislation; conduct trainings and research concerning youth development in the ARMM; strengthen communication linkages with the ORG, LGUs, and other offices in the region; establish and maintain conduits with government and non-government organization, local, national and international, to keep the youth abreast with the development, projects and programs, including events and issues concerning them; promote and sustain information drive on youth programs and activities within and outside the area of autonomy; promote unity and cooperation among the youth; and perform such other functions as may be authorized by the regional governor. (ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)