Datu Salibo folks elect an educator as town mayor

Mayor  Dr. Solaiman M. Sandigan, Al-Hadj  

DATU SALIBO, Maguindanao --- Folks in this town would likely endear their new mayor when it comes to education and manpower resource development having elected last May midyear poll a professional educator.

Mayor-elect Dr. Solaiman M. Sandigan holds a doctoral degree having earned this high academic credential from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Quezon City (1995 to 1997).

He is also the founder and owner of Southern Philippines Academy College, Inc.,   now the Bangsamoro University of the Philippines, located at Datu  Ugalingan Piang Street in Datu Piang, Maguindanao province.

In politics of education, the learning process and skills development are paramount in the executive and legislative agenda so to push onwards the needed progress in a community setting other than development thrusts.

“As an educator and a graduate of a prestigious university, I should say education is the most powerful weapon of our young generation of today for them to be on top and live a better life in society.  I believe that education is a strong foundation for each and every one of us and the means of eradicating poverty and criminalities that we are confronted with right now in our community,” Sandigan said.

Mayor-elect Sandigan said that education is the very reason he is back to his place of origin “where my parents brought me out in this very wonderful world on December 15, 1968.”

 “Education is the one that motivated me most to push through  my dream of putting up a school from kinder up to college and this was realized when it was established in the year 2003,” he said.

 As of present, the enrolees in basic education in the university has reached some 20,000 in clustered classes and consortium. Some students have come from Region-12, Compostela Valley in Davao, Caraga Region, and Balot Island.

He said many have been enticed to enrol in this university because of quality education and mentors and the high standard school facilities.  Tuition and other miscellaneous fees are free for deserving students, especially those qualified for subsidies.

“I am doing this because this is my own way of helping my fellow constituents living in a far- flung community and who are in dire need of attention by a true leader in uplifting their way of living. I have only one vision in life --- the good and betterment of this locality, which is to make this into a more developed, progressive, and peaceful place where people could be secured in the spirit of unity and cooperation,” he said of his mission in life and public service.

Program of gov’t

In thanking his constituents for the political mandate along with his line-up in Datu Salibo, Sandigan said he will pursue development initiatives that are pro-poor in a bid to uplift the folks’ living conditions.

Among local government efforts as first priorities within 100 days of assumptions in office, he cited, are the installation of street lights from Barangay Magaslong in Datu Salibo up to the boundary of Datu Saudi Ampatuan and re-assignment of personnel to offices based on their qualifications and in accordance with the service code as mandated by the Civil Service Commission.

He said the 150-watt street lights have to be illuminated nightly for certain necessities and security purposes.

Further, he said favoritism and nepotism have no place in his administration. (Anne B. Acosta)