Kampilan observes 29th founding day

TOKEN --- ARMM Governor Mujiv. S. Hataman receives a memento from 6th ID Commander Maj. Gen. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. during the 29^th Foundation Anniversary celebration of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division held last October 24 at the grand stand of Camp Siongco.  (DPAO)

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao --- The 6^th Infantry (Kampilan) Division took another year of challenges as it observed its 29^th Foundation Anniversary last October 24.

In a ceremony held at the camp’s grand stand, 6th ID Commander Maj. Gen. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said the significance of this year’s celebration is the renewal of their commitment and support on the various peace and order measures of the government and in empowering the local government units in order to achieve lasting peace.

“The Kampilan Division is glad on the positive responses of our LGUs. Indeed, we are living up with the theme, “Kampilan: Kaakibat at Sandigan sa Pagsulong tungo sa Mapayapa at Maunlad na Sentral Mindanao,” said Maj. Gen. Galvez.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv S. Hataman, who was the guest of honour in the event, emphasized the strengthening of the regional government’s anti-terrorism campaign.

“We can do this with the help of our LGUs. Like for instance, through the years, many roads have been cemented all throughout the region and this is a good start because our residents even from the farthest barangays could witness our physical accomplishments. With these efforts, they realize our sincerest intent to help them improve and develop their communities,” said Hataman.

Furthermore, Hataman stressed that to date, there is growing number of the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG) members in Basilan who have surrendered to authorities.

“This only attests our truest commitment to achieve lasting peace. Security has been an undying issue through the years, but because of our countless efforts the situation now is changing. In fact, the ones who resist with the presence of the ASG in Al Barka were members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, and the residents themselves. They help us and we are very thankful for that,” said Hataman.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Galvez said they continue to set the tone and direction of operational activities within the area of operations.

“This is still in accordance with the national security thrust of the President in destroying the ASG and other allied terrorist or extremist group,” said Maj. Gen. Galvez.

Alongside the municipal mayors of Maguindanao and other guests, Vice-Commander of the Philippine Army, Maj. Gen. Edmundo R. Pangilinan, was also around during the affair.

The 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was established on October 24, 1987 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with Brig. General Gonzalo H. Siongco as the first commanding general assigned at its headquarters in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. Popularly known as the Kampilan Division, the 6th Infantry Division is one of the Philippine Army's Infantry units in Central Mindanao. (GILMHAR A. LAO)

Bangsamoro rescue team strengthens “Operation Undas 2016”

PATIENT --- Blood pressure of a woman who visited the Cotabato City Public Cemetery on November 1 is checked by an Emergency Medical First Responder of the Bangsamoro Rescue Team (BARET). The old woman got nearly fainted due to intense heat of the sun. This is part of the free medical services given by the team. (GILMHAR A. LAO)

COTABATO CITY- The Bangsamoro Rescue Team (BARET) strengthens once more its “Operation Undas 2016” campaign with the aim to ensure the safety of constituents in this city who observed the All Saints' Day and All Souls Day last November 1 and 2.

Datu Hasaad S. Sinsuat, BARET Chief for Planning and Operation, said an emergency medical team was deployed at the Cotabato City Public Cemetery and provided medical assistance to the families who visited their departed ones.

“We deployed at least ten emergency medical first responders ready to help. Accordingly, we have attended to at least twenty patients who visited our public cemetery,” said Sinsuat.

Wilfred Bullet P. Celis Jr., BARET Chief for Training and Logistics, said they have also extended free medical services and put up a first aid station for the public.

“Some of the medical services we’ve given include blood pressure taking, assistance in taking prescribed medicine maintenance to the patient, first aid management for heat and sun stroke, shock, hyper ventilation, open wound dressing, ice application for sprained ankle, and closed wound,” said Celis.

Aladdin B. Palanggalan, President and CEO of BARET, said he is elated that the city government of Cotabato has mapped out their rerouting plans earlier, and did close coordination to ensure a peaceful and orderly All Saints and All Souls holiday.

“Everything is in order. We noticed the mobile patrol units, traffic enforcers, police personnel and medical teams have been strategically posted throughout the city,” said Palanggalan.

Palanggalan said BARET was officially organized on 14 November 2013, when the call for mitigation and preparedness arises due to various natural and human induced disasters frequently experienced in the Bangsamoro homeland.

The team’s primary mission is to save the greatest number of lives and minimize injuries to victims during emergency. It is bound to gather more skilled individuals to share their expertise and serve the peoples in need in time of calamities and/or preparedness.

“We would want to promote a culture of safety and resilience as continuing investment in educating and training to transform the thinking and practices of the people in the communities, establish monitoring and response teams during emergencies and/or disasters, forge linkages between and among local, national and international entities, and attain and maintain a rational and orderly balance between socio-economic growth and environmental protection through sustainable use of resources, development, management and conservation of the Bangsamoro’s natural resources,” said Palanggalan.

Palanggalan added the team offers the following programs and services: Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, Food Security, Emergency Nutrition, Training Services, Youth Development and Humanitarian.

“Our Emergency Response Unit includes Medical Responders and the Search and Rescue or the SAR. For the SAR, it is composed of two (2) group, the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and the Water Search and Rescue (WASAR). USAR specializes rescue skills to locate trapped persons in collapsed structures and other entrapment due to natural disasters and collapsed trenches, using standard array of tools, equipment and supplies suitable for teams at Light, Medium and Heavy operational levels. WASAR on the other hand, specializes rescue skills on proper water entry, types of swimming, lifesaving, group survival, water evolution and knot tying,” said Palanggalan. (GILMHAR A. LAO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

ACHIEVER

ACHIEVER --- The Sangguniang Panlungsod headed by Vice Mayor Graham Nazer G. Dumama (5^th from right) , together with the city councillors, awarded Anthony Laureano Jaboneta a Special Citation during  SP regular session  for being the top-four out of the thousands who took the 2016 Chemist Licensure Examination and bringing pride to Cotabato City. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Cotabato City recipient of dental health bus

 A LOOK of the equipment inside the DOH-donated, air-conditioned Dental Health Bus now under operation by the Office on Health Services of the Cotabato City Government. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO)

A state-of-the-art Dental Health Bus was donated by the Department of Health to the City Government of Cotabato following request from the city’s Office on Health Services (OHS).

This P3 million dental bus is equipped with several facilities to include two fully motorized dental units and chairs, two sets of stainless steel dental instruments, medicines, and it is fully air conditioned.

According to City Health Officer-in-Charge Dr. Suher Guinomla-Ibrahim, the bus can cater to patients for up to eight straight hours per day.

It will be manned by City Dentist Dr. Samira Tuansi-Candao and will be initially extending its services to the far-flung communities of Cotabato City.

Dr. Guinomla-Ibrahim said the dental bus will start its operations this month of November.

“Tooth extraction or bunot and dental check-ups can be performed in our dental health bus. We will be coordinating with our barangays and also our health workers so that we can easily identify the patients who will be needing our services,” she said.

The mobile dental facility was properly turned over by the Department of Health XII OIC Director Dr. Francisco Mateo to the city government during  flag raising ceremony last October 24 and was accepted by Cotabato City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.

In her speech, the mayor thanked the health department for choosing Cotabato City to be one of the recipients of the dental bus. “The bus will be truly helpful to the city government in extending its services, especially to citizens whose houses are far from the hospitals and have rare or no access at all to dental health care.”

“Proper dental care is something that everybody must learn. Our mouth is a very essential part of our body for it is the first to receive the food that we need in order to survive. Aside from dental care, we also take care of the over-all well being of our citizens for we believe that a healthy community will lead to a progressive community,” Guiani-Sayadi said.

The OHS will also cater to walk-in clients daily at their main office inside the City Engineering Compound. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

        

UN Women strengthens gender leadership

EMPOWERMENT --- Women participants from the ARMM and Cotabato City have showcased their work on mainstreaming women, peace, and security during project launching of the Training Kit on Women, Peace, and Security Mainstreaming, Report on the Mapping of Select Women Leaders and Civil Society Organizations in the Bangsamoro, and the Training Kit on Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Participation in the Bangsamoro. With theme are some officials of the UN Women and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. (GILMHAR A. LAO)

COTABATO CITY --- Women leaders from component provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and this city have presented their respective women’s agenda to the ARMM government during a gathering last October 28 at the EM Manor Hotel.

Atty. Laisa Masuhud Alamia, ARMM executive secretary who represented Regional Governor Mujiv S. Hataman, expressed her sincere gratitude for the presence of these women coming from various communities.

“It is indeed life changing. I am surrounded with these beautiful strong willed women from across the region and you are giving me positive energy. It’s enough as we go further and build a better ARMM,” said Atty. Alamia.

Hanny Cueva-Beteta, Regional Governance, Peace and Security adviser of the United Nations (UN) Women in Asia and the Pacific, said the objectives of the activity are to raise awareness and celebrate the gains on the work of UN Women and its partners towards women’s leadership in the Bangsamoro, amplify women’s voices for gender equality, and gain commitment from the ARMM.

“It is definitely important to amplify women’s voices and reclaiming their spaces towards meaningful participation,” said Beteta.

In addition, Beteta said at least 60 women leaders participated earlier in various UN Women’s activities to strengthen their capacities towards leadership and participation in the Bangsamoro.

“Actions and agenda points were formulated by these leaders along the areas of popularizing the Bangsamoro history, women’s economic empowerment, ending violence against women, and GAD (Gender and Development) budget utilization,” said Beteta.

Accordingly, UN Women had conducted in 2015 a mapping of women leaders and civil society organizations in the Bangsamoro.

Beteta said the mapping covered the proposed Bangsamoro core territory covering the five provinces of the ARMM as well as the 39 barangays in North Cotabato and six municipalities in Lanao del Norte.

“It yielded a snapshot of the existing trainings underwent by women leaders and CSOs (civil society organizations) along the areas of gender, peace, and governance as well as their perspectives along the said themes,” said Beteta.

 Maricel Aguilar, national project officer-support to the Implementation of the Bangsamoro Peace Agreement and Gender-Sensitive Transitional Justice of the UN Women, said results of the mapping were used by UN Women to develop trainings for women leaders that would enable greater appreciation for genderequality in their various contexts as Moros and indigenous women, understanding of the Bangsamoro’s struggle for identity, and a just and lasting peace as well as crafting and advocating for area-based women’s agenda.

“We’ve also showcased our work on mainstreaming women, peace and security in the Philippines including the launching of the projects, Training Kit on Women, Peace, and Security Mainstreaming, Report on the Mapping of Select Women Leaders and Civil Society Organizationsin the Bangsamoro, and the Training Kit on Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Participation in the Bangsamoro,” said Aguilar.

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)