Lecture on Gross National Happiness

DENR-ARMM Secretary Kahal Kedtag together with the DENR stakeholders, indigenous people (IP), local government units and the academe attend the Lecture on Gross National Happiness (GNH) held in Ateneo de Davao University on Tuesday, October 18, 2016.

The activity was aimed at inspiring Filipinos to find a balance between materialistic and non-materialistic aspects of life and other factors that are vital to human happiness.

The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing.

DENR National Secretary Regina Lopez said they envision the Philippines as the country whose citizens give more value to the environment than material possessions and physical comfort in their pursuit to happiness.

As such, the secretary wanted to have Bhutan's model of measuring GNH index, which gives equal importance to non-economic aspects of well-being in quantifying social and national progress.

Postulated by Bhutan's fourth king, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuch, GNH is based on the four pillars of Good Governance, Sustainable Socio-Economic Development, Cultural Preservation, and Environmental Protection.

Lopez noted that there is a need to convey the information on four pillars of GNH and gain some thoughts ang best practices from Dr. Saamdu Chetri, the Executive Director of the GNH in Bhutan.

Provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Tawi Tawi in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are among 29 priority areas of the concept.

DENR-ARMM Secretary Kedtag said the department will support and adapt the concept for a better development and management approach in the Bangsamoro. (BUREAU OF PUBLIC INFORMATION – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DepEd-ARMM and Gawad Kalinga MOA Signing

DepEd-ARMM Secretary Dr. John Magno and Gawad Kalinga New Initiatives Head Mark Lawrence Cruz inked a memorandum of agreement to implement the central kitchen approach for the delivery of the school-based feeding program in six towns in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The agreement entails the establishment of the central kitchen that will benefit 11,300 students in six towns that include Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, Jolo in Sulu, Lamitan in Basilan, Taraka in Lanao del Sur and Upi and Parang in Maguindanao.

The program will be manned by the parents, volunteers, teachers, school, and community administrators, LGUs, private individuals, organizations, and corporate partners to prepare for daily nutritious meals to public schoolchildren.

Dr. Magno said they are hoping that the pilot kitchens will eventually become training centers for replication of the school-based feeding program throughout the region. He said the feeding program will start on the second week of November this year.

After the MOA signing, DepEd-ARMM, and Gawad Kalinga key officials, and representatives of various stakeholders signed the "wall of commitment" to show support for the program.

The MOA signing was held today, October 19 at the Basilan Training Hall, inside the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City. (BUREAU OF PUBLIC INFORMATION – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Today, one of the most anticipated establishments in Cotabato City opens its doors to all Cotabateños.

Thousands flock the City Mall of Cotabato to witness its grand opening and to take advantage of the promos and privileges that are instore for shoppers today.

None other than our City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, City Vice Mayor Graham Nazer Guiani Dumama, and Councilor Japal G. Guiani, III graced the event and headed the ribbon cutting ceremonies of the different shops inside the mall.

The mall officials of City Mall said they prepared very well for today's opening but were still overwhelmed with the warm reception of the Cotabateños.

"It is really surprising but very touching as well. We thank our local government for assisting us all throughout the processes until we opened up today and thank you also to the people of Cotabato City for their very warm welcome", Marketing Head Ellena Mercado said.

The City's emergency responders and the city police were all on stand by alert during the opening of the mall.

City Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said the Cotabateños are elated with the opening of another shopping mall but also appeals to them to be disciplined while visiting the establishment.

"Alam ko lahat tayo ngayon ay masaya talaga sa pagbubukas ng City Mall pero sana ay alagaan natin ito. Ipakita natin sa ating mga investor na ligtas sila dito sa Cotabato City", the lady mayor said.

City Mall Cotabato is a Double Dragon Corporation property and is the sister mall of SM. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

The International Monitoring Team pays their courtesy visit to Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, early today.

The team, led by their Malaysian mission head Major General Datuk Wira Zamrose Bin Mohd Zain, expressed their feeling of comfort in Cotabato City during their tour of duty in this part of the region.

Major General Zamrose is also impressed by the current development that Cotabato City is experiencing under the Guiani administration. He hopes that investors from his country will also venture into business here and strengthen further its ties with their brothers from this city.

The IMT is composed of representatives from different Asian countries like Brunei and Japan. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Cotabato vice mayor now heads R-12 League of Vice Mayors

POLITICAL IMAGE --- Cotabato City Vice Mayor Graham Guiani-Dumama (3rd from left) is now president of the Region-12 League of Vice Mayors. (Cotabato City LGU/Halima Satol-Ibrahim)

COTABATO CITY - The vice mayor here is now president of Central Mindanao’s League of Vice Mayors while a graduate of a local university topped in the latest engineering licensure examination in separate feats local residents are proud of.

Cotabato City Vice Mayor Graham GuianiDumama won in October 7’s election for president of the League of Vice Mayors in Region-12.

The elections capped off  the meeting in General Santos City of vice mayors from North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani provinces.

Also present in the meeting were vice mayors of Region-12 cities --- Tacurong, Kidapawan, Koronadal, and General Santos.

Halima Satol-Ibrahim, information officer of the local government here, said Dumama’s presidency in the Region-12 League of Vice Mayors also highlights the improvements in governance here and the upbeat domestic security and investment climate.

Satol-Ibrahim said local officials and supporters of Dumama, nephew of incumbent Cotabato City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, were elated with the feat.

Barangay residents and members of the city’s business community took to Facebook their share of jubilation by posting on their timelines their optimism on the impact to the city’s economy and political growth of Dumama’s having got to the helm of the league’s leadership.

City residents were also fascinated and honored with how Elso Elumbaring ranked number one in the latest Philippine Licensure Examination for Mechanical Engineers.

Elumbaring graduated last March from Notre Dame University in Cotabato City, the largest Catholic school in Central Mindanao.

Residents of the 37 barangays here learned of Elumbaring’s having topped in the examination on Saturday (October 8) morning from Catholic station dxMS..

The university where Elumbaring finished a mechanical engineering course and dxMS, of the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation, are both owned by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate congregation.

Satol-Ibrahim said the city government was honored with the fame Elumbaring brought home.

“Cotabato City is so proud of him,” the Office of the City Mayor said in an official statement.
(CONTRIBUTED BY MEDIA PARTNER – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DepEd-ARMM upskills schools on classroom construction management

TUNING UP - DepEd-ARMM Secretary Dr. John Magno (right) and Marjuni Maddi, (left) Assistant Secretary for academics, interrfacing with journalists on programs and projects related to school management. (Anne B. Acosta)

COTABATO CITY --- The Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DepEd-ARMM) is bound to upgrade the condition of various elementary and secondary public schools from all over the region.

DepEd-ARMM Secretary Dr. John Magno said they have trained school officials on proper classroom construction management.

“They have to learn even the basic concepts of construction and make familiar with various building designs together as well as identifying quality construction materials,” said Magno.

Magno said school officials should learn these skills so they could be of help in monitoring the construction of classrooms in their respective schools.

He added that the training of school officcials in classroom construction management is one of their strategies for the safety of its end-users, the children.

Magno said they have trained so far at least 1,125 school officials as well as parents of school children together with DepEd-ARMM division supervisors.

“We were able to do this with the help of the Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao (BEAM-ARMM), a program funded by the Australian Government,” said Magno.

Accordingly, the BEAM–ARMM was launched in 2012 aimed at contributing to the alleviation of poverty and the emergence of peace in the ARMM through targeted investments in basic education.

Moreover, Magno emphasized that by year 2017, public elementary and secondary schools from across the autonomous region shall be entitled to the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

“These also include regular school expenses,” said Magno.

Magno added that the schools shall soon receive their monthly MOOE to further sustain expenses for utilities such as electric and water bills, procurement of school supplies, salaries for janitors and security personnel, and to cover other expenditures.

Magno stressed that in the past, only central schools and national high schools were granted MOOE which resulted problems for the schools from all over the region.

“It was a very hard time for them, most especifically on how to support their financial needs,” said Magno.

Accordingly, the MOOE could be used in the procurement of school supplies needed in classroom teaching, school training activities, utilities and communications expenses, graduation rites expenses, and minor school repairs.

At present., the DepEd-ARMM covers nine schools divisions --- Maguindanao I and II, Marawi City, Lanao Sur I and II, Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.

To date, there are at least  2,150 public elementary schools and 304 secondary schools in the ARMM. “The (2017) budget is enough to suffice the needs of our schools,”  Magno said.

It was learned that the amount of MOOE allocated for each school is based on total school enrollment, number of teachers, number of classrooms, and number of graduating students.

Meanwhile, the classroom construction management training for school officials is a landmark initiative introduced by the BEAM-ARMM Program and implemented in 2014 by the DepEd-ARMM.  (ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Kabuntalan LGU puts axe on illegal fishing

Vice-Mayor Ghadzali Taha

COTABATO CITY - The municipal government of Kabuntalan in Maguindanao gears up in strenghtening the implementation of the revised Municipal Ordinance 11, series of 2011 by the Sangguniang Bayan in pursuit to fight the illegal fishing activities in the town.

Ghadzali Taha, Vice-Mayor of Kabuntalan, said the move is in accordance with the countless complaints they have been receiving where illegal fishing activities continually take place in the swamps and marshy areas.

“These illegal fishermen have allegedly come from the nearby towns of Libungan, Pigcawayan, and DatuPiang,” said Taha.

Taha said the implementation of the municipal ordinance could be strenghtened with the help of the barangay captains together with the local officials.

“We gave them a copy of the ordinance to hold on to something just in case a relevant scenario would take place in no time,” said Taha. 

Taha emphasized that the alleged fishermen are not permanent residents of Kabuntalan but are just passers by to fish as means of livelihood.

“Our sympathy goes to our constituents too. Remember, we are teaching them the different proper ways of fishing, and here comes the illegal fishermen coming from other areas doing these illegal activities like electrofishing. Maybe most of them might not know yet about our ordinance, so we would want to educate them on our advocacy,” said Taha.

Furthermore, Taha said that in regards to the threat, the barangay officials are the ones who safeguard the “pawas” (marsh).

“Sometime four months ago, we got caught at least four illegal fishermen in the area. They’ve been using electric. They paid a penalty amounting to more than P10,000 each,” said Taha.

Besides, dangerous fishing habits could kill too many fish.

“Harmful fishing methods are depleting fish stocks so it is important to have sufficient law enforcement to stop practices like electrofishing,” said Taha.

Taha stressed we should not forget natural fishing practices

“Electrofishing can destroy the living environment of marine life. The recovery would be difficult and could take us a long time so it is also important to focus on educating the fishermen and the residents of Kabuntalan as well,” said Taha.

Taha said there should be stricter punishments for violations.

 “We would want to seek aid from our residents in raising awareness of the long-term benefits of natural fishing," said Taha.

Kabuntalan is a 6th class municipality of the province of Maguindanao. It is politically subdivided into 17 barangays  --- Bagumbayan, Buterin, Dadtumog (Dadtumeg), Gambar, Ganta, Katidtuan, Langeban, Liong, Lower Taviran, Maitong, Matilak, Pagalungan, Payan, Pedtad, Pened, Poblacion, and Upper Taviran.  (ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)