OBYA CONDUCTS PROVINCIAL YOUTH SUMMIT

OBYA Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr.

COTABATO CITY --- The Office on the Bangsamoro Youth Affairs (OBYA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has conducted recently series of youth summit to the component provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Sulu.

OBYA Executive Director Salic Sharief, Jr. said they stage these events so the youth sector could have a venue to air out their issues and concerns. He added the only province left was Tawi-Tawi but the conduct of the summit has been scheduled.

“This November, we have been doing proper profiling of our youth organizations, youth volunteers, out of school youths, special youth groups such as drug dependents, arrested, persons with disabilities, extremists and those who have surrendered to authorities,” said Sharief.

Sharief said they are very aggressive in terms of profiling so that in the years to come, they would be able to match programs appropriate on the needs of the youth.

Furthermore, Sharief said they have been conducting series of focus group discussions (FGD) to deeply interact with the “emerging leaders of this generation”.

“We are having at last three to four rounds of FGD to communities so that during the provincial summit, the issue were already clarified and easily consolidated. We invite youth from other provinces as we go from one province to another. That way, they interact and better understand each other through communication,” said Sharief.

Sharief shared few sentiments of the youths in some rounds of the summit where previously, some said “they won’t listen to us, they only use us, and the concerned agencies don’t actually help us”, he said.

“The purpose of this summit is to have a venue to consolidate their concerns, identify their strengths, challenges, and suggest programs they think would suit them.” He added.

Sharief said OBYA is planning to conduct a “regional youth summit” this December in close coordination with the Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA) ARMM.

“Our intention is not to do a standalone program because we recognize the need to coordinate with other concerned agencies, and RLA has already started this endeavour in the past.
We are more than happy that they are willing to facilitate the upcoming regional youth summit,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sharief added that out of the regional summit, they are on track in formulating a “bangsamoro youth development and peace building plan” for the years 2017-2022.

“This would serve as our guide to all the programs we are going to implement in the coming years. We are certainly having a clear direction and rest assured we are going to highlight progressive programs for the youth. There must be sense of ownership for them during the formulation of the plan,” he said. (GILMHAR A. LAO – MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Sultan sa Barongis seeks flood relief

FLOOD BURDEN --- Mayor Ramdatu M. Angas of Sultan Sa Barongis relates how languishing it is for the constituents when floodings hit their town as they look how this crisis situation can be solved.

COTABATO CITY --- The municipality of Sultan Sa Barongis in the province of Maguindanao is appealing for aid from the provincial government of Maguindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to solve its recurring flood problem.

Municipal Mayor Ramdatu Angas said their municipality is located within the boundary of the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

“Sultan Sa Barongis is situated along the borders of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat and is at the direct path of Ala River, a major tributary coming from South Cotabato. Therefore, it is not only a concern of the town but also of the provincial and regional governments,” he said.

Mayor Angas said flood waters easily rise in the town, most especially in the five low-lying barangays ---Paldong, Barurao, Gadungan, Papakan, and Kulambog.

“This is what usually happens when Ala River rises due to the torrential rain in the mountains of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato. Should it rain up there in the mountains of these provinces, we will be flooded for sure,” he said.

Angas mentioned the characteristics of flood waters that remain unpredictable as they recede and suddenly rise even if Maguindanao province experiences no rain.

“Even if we don’t experience rain here in the province, we are still prone to flooding should it rain in the nearby provinces. Floods come and go but it’s getting worse every time a situation takes place,” he said.

Mayor Angas cited a flood control dike constructed by a banana plantation company.  “They put up a dike to save their farm site but the flood water from Ala River has been diverted to Sultan Sa Barongis,” he said.

Sultan sa Barongis is a second class municipality in the province of Maguindanao. It is politically subdivided into 12 barangays: Angkayamat, Barurao, Bulod, Darampua, Gadungan, Kulambog, Langgapanan, Masulot, Papakan, Tugal, Tukanakuden, and Paldong. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA)

Shariff Aguak to pursue socio-economic thrusts

PUSHING ONWARDS --- Cashmer D. Ampatuan, municipal information officer of Shariff Aguak, cites moves to push the town’s socio-economic pursuits for the upliftment of the constituents.

COTABATO CITY- The local government unit of Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao is bound to pursue socio-economic endeavours to uplift the living condition of the town constituents.

Cashmer D. Ampatuan, municipal information officer, said they are delighted to announce that the road widening in the national highway is on its way for completion in few weeks’ time.

“The road widening is from Barangay Poblacion to the boundary in Barangay Labulabu,” he said.

Ampatuan added that they have also loaned farm equipment and dump trucks that stand to benefit the town folks in terms of economic support.

“Monthly allowance is also given to social pensioners or the elderly aging 70 and up,” he said.

In its fight against drug abuse, he said the municipal government just finished a random drug test among the LGU personnel, town officials, and barangay chairmen.

“We are glad to inform you that none of them were found positive,” he said.

Ampatuan said they are currently strengthening the municipal anti-drug abuse campaign. “In fact, we have at least 330 drug users who surrendered to local authorities. We monitor their daily routines and we are giving them livelihood assistance to fully turn their backs out of drugs. We also engage them into sports activities,” he said.

Shariff Aguak, formerly Maganoy, is a 3rd income class municipality in the province of Maguindanao. It is politically subdivided into 13 barangays, namely Bagong, Bialong, Kuloy, Labu-labu, Lapok (Lepok), Malingao, Poblacion, Poblacion I, Poblacion II, Satan, Tapikan, Timbangan, and Tina. (GILMHAR A. LAO & ANNE B. ACOSTA)

Center for women, children opened

COTABATO CITY --- The city government opened Tuesday last week the Center for Women and Children which will serve as the "run to" place of women and children who are being abused in their homes and communities.

The center will also provide support to the activities of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children as the city is currently spending a quarter of its annual budget for programs and projects for this sector.

This year alone, the city has been recognized for its efforts in eradicating child labor and implementation of key programs that focus on children and youth development.

The city government has received the Seal of Child-friendly Governance that later resulted in Cotabato City being second placer in the Presidential Search for the Most Child Friendly Cities and Municipalities (in the Independent Component Cities category) in the whole country.

"The city government's commitment to the welfare and protection of children has always been our priority agenda of governance," Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said.

This developed as 16 of 37 barangays here identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development have participated in the November 21-28 Seminar on Anti-Illegal Recruitment and Trafficking in Person, Child Labor, and Kasambahay Law.

The activity, spearheaded by the Office of the City Mayor-Public Employment Services Office with the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry, aims to educate the village officials, health workers, street educators, and village watchmen on the importance of protecting their constituents against illegal recruiters and upholding the rights of the house helpers.

The seminar, held at the huge function room of the city’s Negosyo Center, also updated participants on laws concerning vulnerable sectors like the youth and women.

City Administrator Dr. Danda Juanday told the participants that the city government would be expecting them to be its “arm” in preventing the people from engaging in illegal activities.

"You are the ones who are in touch with the grassroots so we depend on you to be the front liners in our fight against all forms of illegal activities in the city", he said. (PNA - Cotabato)

Cot. City holds LDRRM workshop

COTABATO CITY --- The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in coordination with this city government conducted a Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) Planning Formulation Workshop for 2017-2022 held at Al Nor Convention Hall from November 21-25, 2016.

Elias Salazar, provincial coordinator of the USAID Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability (Be Secure) Project, said the workshop was attended by members of the Cotabato City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as well as the agencies concerned on disaster preparedness planning and  emergencies.

Salazar said topics discussed during the five-day workshop revolved around  Climate Change Adaptation Plan; Republic Act 10121 or the Strengthening of Philippines Disaster Risk reduction and management system; the National DRRM framework plan, its risk profile and major hazards; and the status of DRRM in Cotabato City, among other related topics.

He said the more than 40 participants were divided into four groups according to thematic areas: Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response, and Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery.

“The city government of Cotabato summarized its plan for the years 2017-2022,” Salazar added.

Reynaldo Ridao, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer, said it is important to develop a common understanding among the residents of the city and concerned stakeholders on the concepts of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law and Framework, and other local policies and instruments that may have implications to risk reduction and building community resilience.

Ridao said he is grateful on the technical support extended by the USAID in the development of their LCCAP and DRRM plan as he stressed the value of understanding the hazard profile of Cotabato City and preparing the necessary information that could be the basis and reference in developing the DRRM Plan.

“We are delighted to announce that we now have a Local Climate Change Action Plan,” he said.

City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi emphasized the importance of identifying strategies to address previous gaps in disaster management at the local level.

“Flood is our number one hazard here in the city, so it is only important to include in the strategy how we could strengthen coordination on flood forecasting and the crafting of user-friendly evacuation,” said Mayor Guiani-Sayadi.

Salazar said the framework indicates the paradigm shift towards a pro-active and preventive approach to disaster management.

He also emphasizes that resource invested in disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and climate change adaptation will be more effective towards attaining the goal of adaptive, disaster resilient communities and sustainable development.

“To be resilient involves getting our disaster risk reduction programs feasible and attainable and of world standard so we can effectively respond  when disasters strike,” said Salazar.

The Local DRRM Plan is patterned after the National DRRM Act of 2010 or Republic Act 10121 so that local policies and guidelines implemented at the local level would be synchronized with those of the regional and national agencies. (GILMHAR A. LAO)