Int’l airport , seaport, school to commence construction in 2020

COTABATO City is about to see the biggest infrastructure projects to be constructed in the year 2020.

These major projects include the International Airport of Cotabato City, seaport, and the China-Cotabato  Friendship Technical School.

All of these three projects will be undertaken by the China Engineering and Construction (Shenzen) Company, Incorporated and the city government of Cotabato through a Private Public Partnership (PPP) scheme.

After more than a year of negotiations and study, the ground-breaking of the International Airport will be conducted before the year 2019 ends.

City Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi said these projects are a product of  the long-time relationship between  the people of  Cotabato City and China.

Mamasapano celebrates founding day by services

LOVE LIGHTS --- Mamasapano Mayor Datu Akmad A. Ampatuan, Jr. (wearing tubao) supervises the distribution of wheel chairs to persons with disability, among them young children, as gifts to the needy sector as part of the celebration of the town’s 21st Founding Anniversary. Also shown is Mayor Datu Sajid Islam Uy Ampatuan (2nd from right) of Datu Saydona Mustapha, one of the anniversary guests. (Anne Acosta)

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao—The local government and constituency here were on high spirit in celebrating the municipality’s  21st  Founding  Anniversary last October 29 with the theme, “One Vision, One Identity, One Mamasapano towards Peace and Prosperity .“

        This year’s two-day celebration called for the rekindling of a united effort toward  achieving the three-point goal of the town’s progress, development, and  peace.

        The festive mood  featured the Kalilintad Festival and Dulang-dulang Parade.

Mayor Datu Akmad A. Ampatuan, Jr. said the opening program last October 29 held at the ground floor of the Municipal Hall building was intended for the senior citizens, the date being the celebration of the Senior Citizens’ Day under theme, “Healthy and Productive Aging Starts with Me.”

BARMM marks IP month

Sama-Bajau youth leader Saliakram Adduh of Tawi- tawi  (seated left) is shown along with other participating IPs from different provinces and areas in the BARMM. 

COTABATO CITY --- The culmination day of the Indigenous Peoples’ Month celebration held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex at the compound of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in Cotabato City last October 29 was highlighted by colorful tribal attire, cultural dance, and tasty home-made delicacies. 

The annual celebration was attended by different indigenous people from different areas of the BARMM, some of them dwelling in mountainous areas and living along the sea-shores in the Moro gulf and Sulu sea. 

Brother Saliakram Mardan Adduh, a youth leader and Jurist doctor from Tandubas island municipality of Tawi-tawi and a full-blood Sama-Bajau, led the Muslim Invocation along with other IP chieftains and  a priest by invoking divine aid and intervention in the pursuit of harmonious co-existence, peace, and development in the BARMM and in the other part of the world. 

Buldon awarded the SGLG “Hall of Fame”

PUSHING ONWARDS --- Buldon Mayor Abolais Manalao speaking before a crowd on occasion of the town’s 58th Founding Anniversary as he meekly takes pride of the LGU’s feat as SGLG “Hall of Famer.”

BULDON, Maguindanao ---  This locality  celebrated last October 28  its 58th Founding Anniversary simultaneously  with the 6th Saduratan Festival, depicting ethnic dances, with theme adoption: “Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa para sa Kaunlaran ng Ating Bayan.”

        The festive event came with a special bonus when the municipal government of Buldon has been awarded the “Hall of Fame”  by the Department of the Interior and Local Government – National for being a consistent recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) Award for three consecutive years --- 2017, 2018, and 2019.

        Speaking before the constituents during the anniversary day, Mayor Abolais Manalao said the prestigious SGLG awards are owing to the efforts of the entire officialdom and the support and participation of the different sectors and constituency to “responsible, participatory,  and developmental governance.”

        “The award is for you, the people behind who make all of these into reality… Without you, my people, I am nothing in this locality. And I appeal to you, let us not stop on what we have gainfully started and unselfishly and untiringly continue working hand in hand for the progress and development of our community,” the mayor said in uttered positive emotion.

        He mentioned some of the programs and projects the municipal government has implemented, citing the Buldon Integrated Development Activities or BIDA which cover the conduct of medical outreach, supplemental feeding, and the activation of the Peace and Order Council whose regular meetings have updated the local government of security situations and ,thus, “peace actions could be initiated so a conflict crisis or crimes  would not escalate.”

                                                                                                                                                                                       

        Of significance, he said, is the implementation of the national government’s “Balik Baril” program in coordination with the 6th Infantry Division and other security forces. “This has contributed to zero ‘rido’ in our locality.”

        He said these programs and accomplishments are some of the plus factors “for our locality to be always on top among the 36 municipalities in Maguindanao.”

Founding anniversary

        The anniversary and festivity program was held at the town’s municipal gymnasium with  Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua of the Ministry of Environment Natural Resources and Energy in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

        Mayor Manalao said the theme is a showcase of the unity and camaraderie among the different sectors and populace and “we want this social and cultural atmosphere to prevail though interactive programs and linkages that we could initiate.”

        This year’s founding anniversary  showcased the culture of the Iranun tribe through ethnic dances with Mutya ng Buldon pageant that highlighted the event.

Among the activities for the week-long celebration included street dancing competition, the traditional game of Sepa sa Manguis, kulintang exhibition, the town’s first feature of “Pakitang Gilas sa Buldon “ or shooting competition, and Mayor’s Night that culminated the fest.

The mayor said the shooting competition was participated by Mayor Reynalbert Insular of South Upi, Mayor Datu Antao Midtimbang, Jr. of Guindulungan, and other invited guest shooters from the nearby localities with the special participation and supervision of contingents from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, and Marine Battalion Landing Team.

Mayor Manalao expressed his gratitude to the officialdom  and the organizers for the success of the activities.  “All of what we have now come from your joint efforts to make this affair a successful one. My deep thanks to my staff, employees, department heads, different line-agencies, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Welfare, barangay chairmen and officials who are  very supportive ever since to my administration.”

“Our gratitude also goes to the men in uniform for your untiring support and assistance to our activities and administrative functions,” the mayor added.

The mayor said part of the anniversary program is the partial distribution of 500  arm chairs to the public school, dubbed as “Upuan para sa Edukasyon.” (Anne Acosta)

Editorial

Coping with tremors

The island of Mindanao has gone through the “earthquake season,” as President Duterte described it, and the series of aftershocks may extend up to December with a forewarn of even a major tremor at an energy of Magnitude or Intensity 7.2 as a result of stress-loading faults.

The series of major earthquakes up to magnitude six-plus were a test case on the program of disaster preparedness and response of local government units whose financial resources or calamity funds are already depleting since the October 16 Magnitude 6.3 disturbed normalcy in quake-hit areas, especially in North Cotabato where the epicenters had been monitored.  

Sultan Sa Barongis sets RAHMA wheel

 SERVICE DELIVERY --- Mayor Al-Fizzar Allandatu M. Angas, Jr. of Sultan Sa Barongis, Maguindanao in a cheerful thumbs-up sign with the youths during the holding of series of RAHMA in a far-flung barangay of his town where many residents benefited from governmental services, among them medical and dental outreach. (Anne Acosta)

SULTAN SA BARONGIS, Magauindanao ---The local government of this town led by Mayor Al-Fizzar Allandatu M. Angas, Jr. set into motion last October 24 another service outreach, dubbed as Rural Action for Humanitarian and Meaningful Assistance (RAHMA) program, in Tugal, a far-flung barangay in the municipality where some 1,000 individuals have been served.

“RAHMA” is an Arabic term, which means “blessings and mercy.”

Mayor Al-Fizzar Angas said  the RAHMA is an advocacy of his late uncle mayor Ramdatu M. Angas which intends to strengthen the delivery of basic social services in all barangays of the locality through convergence of activities in partnership with government line-agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Welfare and Development, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Agriculture.

380 LGUs to get good governance seal: DILG

MANILA --- Almost 400 local government units, or 44 percent, have passed the standards of good local governance this year, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Saturday (October 26).

From the 263 passers last year, the LGU passers went up to 380 after fulfilling the assessment criteria in good governance. The figure consists of 17 provinces, 57 cities, and 306 municipalities nation-wide.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año praised the LGUs for passing despite the challenging year and for stepping up their game.

Leading the passers were 65 LGUs from the Ilocos region: Central Luzon (63); Cagayan Valley (40); Calabarzon (33); and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (28).

The BARMM was recognized for the success of its LGUs despite its transition and the other issues faced by the region.

“Despite the many issues happening in the area -- the elections, the passage, and plebiscite of organic law -- the BARMM still has awardees,” DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told reporters in an earlier press briefing.

Malaya added that this year, 99 more municipalities and 18 more cities passed the seal compared to last year.

“We expect continued progress and improvement in delivering services,” he said.

The criteria for the seal of good governance (SGLG) include financial and administrative management; disaster preparedness; social protection; peace and order; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental protection; and tourism, culture, and arts.

With the creation of the SGLG through Republic Act 11292, Año said he "expects "continued progress and improvement in LGUs' capacity to deliver quality service to the people."

The passers are eligible to compete in the DILG Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance their local development projects.

The awarding of the seal will be held at the Manila Hotel on November 4 and 5. (CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN, PNA / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

BARMM holds ceremonial signing of flag, emblem

IDENTITY --- Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim and BTA Parliament Speaker Pangalian Ali Balindong led the ceremonial signing last October 23 of the Bangsamoro’s official flag and emblem. (GALAO WITH PHOTO BY SSRABAS / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY ---  The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) held last October 23 the ceremonial signing of the region’s adopted official flag and emblem or the Autonomy Acts No. 1 and 2.

Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim led the ceremonial signing together with Parliament Speaker Pangalian Ali Balindong during the Parliament’s regular session last October 23 and the Chief Minister’s Hour delivered by the former.

The signing ceremony was also witnessed by the Members of the Parliament (MP).

The BTA Parliament passed previously Parliament Bill No. 7, which is also known as “An Act Adopting an Official Flag of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.” The measure was passed on its third and final reading on August 22, 2019 and was signed into law on August 28, 2019 by Chief Minister Ebrahim as Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 1.

The Bangsamoro flag is reflective of its people’s “identity, history, heritage, struggles, and aspiration.” It has four colors, a crescent, a seven-rayed star, and a kris.

The top side portion of the flag is green, symbolizing Islamic teachings and principles that the majority of the BARMM population adheres to. The middle part is white, signifying peace, sakina or tranquility (sakina is a principle in the Qur’an), and righteousness.

The bottom side portion is red, which symbolizes the blood of the fallen mujahideen or those who had fought for the recognition of identity and self-determination of the Bangsamoro.

The crescent with a seven-rayed star in its center foregrounds the flag’s middle. The crescent symbolizes principles that guided the Bangsamoro people who had fought for self-determination. The star’s seven rays represent the seven provinces and cities that are part of the region: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-tawi; the cities of Marawi, Lamitan, and Cotabato; as well as the 63 barangays that were previously part of North Cotabato.

Furthermore, the middle of the red portion is a “Kris” which symbolizes the protection and resistance of the Bangsamoro and other indigenous people in the Bangsamoro territory against “oppression, tyranny, and injustice.”

The law requires all Bangsamoro offices, public and private schools, colleges and universities, public offices, government-owned or controlled corporations, and other government instrumentalities to display the new flag.

On the other hand, the BTA also passed previously Parliament Bill No. 8, which is known as “An Act Adopting an Official Seal of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.” The measure was passed on its third and final reading on August 29, 2019 and was signed into law on September 6, 2019 by Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim as Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 2.

The official Bangsamoro seal is circular in design. The words “Bangsamoro Autononomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” is clearly printed at the upper portion and the same are preceded and ended by stars. The year of creation of the BARMM “2019” is printed at the lower portion.

The outermost part of the official Bangsamoro seal is bordered by a rope. In its center shall be a crescent with a seven-rayed star to its right.

The rope, the crescent, and the seven-rayed star is golden yellow in color. There’s a strip, slightly red in color, in the inner portion of the rope. The crescent and the star is set against a green background. The words describe therein is written in green with white as its background.

The rope symbolizes the unity of the Bangsamoro, non-Moro indigenous people, and other people in the BARMM, as inspired by verse 3:103 of the Quran, which states: “Hold tight to the rope of Allah, together. And be not divided”.

The strip, slightly red in color, represents the blood of the fallen Mujaheddin who fought recognition of identity and self-determination. The crescent stands for the “guiding principles” of the region’s people who fought for self-determination.

Meanwhile, the seven-rayed star represents the component local governments of the region; the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi Tawi, Cotabato City, and the Bangsamoro barangays in North Cotabato. The seal contains the full name of the Bangsamoro region in English. An Arabic version of the Bangsamoro seal is also considered official.

Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Parliament is permitted to adopt its own seal and symbol. (COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA UNIT, BTA PARLIAMENT / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Editorial

Connectivity of two events: All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day

Comes the two-day holidays as we enter the month of November in commemorating All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day --- November 1 and 2. By this time, the cemeteries have been refurbished for visitation of families and relatives on tombs where lie the remains of our loved ones. For a while, the two-day events are a respite from the rigidities of work such as office functions. Anyhow, these are holidays worth celebrating but not departing from their religious and social significance, especially for the Christians.

On Timeline… All Saints’ Day is remembering the saints, whose list of names actually is not registered in our mental dictionary except for a few of them, one our patron saint. This occasion is “to allow the testimony of their faith spur us on.” The saints set the example of how one could live with his/her faith and submit to a calling, “counting oneself to the love and service of neighbors.” It reminds of “connectedness” as Christians. Devotees count on saints as intercessors with the Divinity. The canonization of saints is associated with miracles and prayers as exemplary of faith in God. This day in history is one religious obligation in prayer.

All Souls’ Day is praying for the Holy Souls and the offering of indulgences that the departed ones be in the presence of God as we also join them in the life thereafter. In social life, this is the day when families and relatives get together in remembering their loved ones. It is a sort of a reunion when families and relatives see each other and exchange embedded cordialities in one setting. For some, it is going back to the origin of abode where the loved ones are laid to the final rest. It is said that sibs, separated by independence and family lives, see and embrace each other when funerals occur… it is paying respect to the dead and reviving endearment. All Souls’ Day should not be scary but a moment of dialogue with surviving sibs and relatives as “how life is going” and how we can meaningfully cherish our lives, noting that “we only live once.” Again, there is connectivity in commemorating the dead.

So, these two related events have social significance --- the saints and the departed as the “significant others,” depending on how they have given meaning to one’s life and how their examples have been integrated into one’s temporal being and association with people, the nearest of them our neighbors. One can be saintly in concern and love of neighbors and the soul is sanctified with the integral values of righteousness and religious devotion. 

The saints are models in submission to a calling, which is  associated with love, while remembering the departed is seeking indulgence for the peace of the soul as the living also seek peace in their midst. So folks, how do you intertwine these two events which deal with connectivities. This is a moment of reflection… and how much time do we devote to this exercise?

Anyhow, it is time for the celebration with our love ones with prayer and renewal of ties.

Japan vows to support BARMM

SUPPORT ---  Japan Minister and Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Yasushi Yamamoto (extreme left) and his delegation during courtesy visit Thursday (October 17) to the Office of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority  Parliament Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong (extreme right). (PHOTO BY ZUL DIOLANAN, COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA UNIT, BTA PARLIAMENT / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

COTABATO CITY --- The Government of Japan reaffirms its support to the on-going peace building process in the Bangsamoro homeland following a courtesy visit last October 17 of Japan Minister and Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Yasushi Yamamoto and his delegation to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.

Minister Yamamoto and his team were warmly received by BTA Parliament Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong. 

Members of the delegation included Japan Embassy’s First Secretaries Yosuke Tamabayashi and Ryusuke Ikeda, Japan International Cooperation Agency  Senior Representative Yo Ebisawa along with other JICA representatives Yukiko Sano, Hiroshi Takeuchi, and Toshinori Katsumata.

Scotland Minister visits BTA Parliament

GUIDE --- Former Scotland Minister Jack Wilson McConnell (right) turns over to BTA Interim Parliament Speaker Pangalian Ali Balindong a book titled “The Scottish Parliament,” as a present from the Speaker of the Scottish Parliament. (PHOTO BY ZSD, COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA UNIT, BTA PARLIAMENT / MINDANAO EXPOSE’) 

COTABATO CITY --- Former Scotland Minister Jack Wilson McConnell and his delegation motored to Cotabato City last October 2 for a visitation to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.

The former Minister and  his  party  were welcomed by Interim Parliament   Speaker   Pangalian   Ali   Balindong   together   with   Secretary General   Raby   Angkal,   Deputy   Speaker  Hatimil   Hassan,   and   Majority Floor Leader Atty. Lanang Ali, Jr.

Members of McConnell’s delegation included Nataly Doherty and Sarah Rowse from the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office,   Martin   Norman   and   Kurt   Cendana   from   the   British   Embassy Manila ,  and   Tom   Cormier   from   the   Westminster   Foundation   for Democracy.