BARMM’s RSCom holds first regular meeting for 2021

PLANNING AHEAD. Bangsamoro Director General Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali together with PSA-BARMM OIC Regional Director Engr. Naser S. Usman (both in the middle) spearheads the Regional Statistics Committee’s first regular meeting for year 2021, held Wednesday, February 3, 2021.  Joining them are the BARMM ministries and offices who are members of the committee. (Mary Lovella L. Lastimosa, BPDA-BARMM)

 COTABATO CITY – The Regional Statistics Committee (RSCom) under the Bangsamoro Economic and Development Council (BEDC) held Wednesday, February 3, its first regular meeting for the calendar year 2021 at Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) Conference Hall, Bangsamoro Government Center, this city.

Engr. Mohajirin T. Ali, Bangsamoro Director General and Committee chair, was elated for the presence of the member ministries who attended this year’s first regular committee meeting. 

He also encouraged the members to actively participate during the discussions and to cooperate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-BARMM) in preparation for the celebration of the 31st Civil Registration Month.

“We need to discuss how to celebrate the Civil Registration Month, wherein this is very vital, very important that we need to do as far as the data is concern in the aspect of registration of every individual,” Ali said.

Engr. Akan G. Tula of PSA-BARMM presented the updates and timeline of the activities of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Registration. He also discussed the outline of the civil registration and discoursed this year’s theme “Strengthening Civil Registration and Vital Statistics’ Digital Information: The Ways to Manage the New Normal.”

“Let us all be movers and promoters of the need to be registered and have a legal identity.” Tula emphasized during his presentation.

Meanwhile, Engr. Naser S. Usman, PSA-BARMM OIC regional director and Committee co-chair, said that at this point, the level of registration of the BARMM is way below than expected by the national office. 

“Nasa 70-75% pa lang ang level of registration natin and very alarming, sa dami ng namamatay sa atin, wala man lang nakakareport especially for indigenous communities in Muslim populace.  We only report the death of our relatives when we need in claiming some benefits.  By virtue of Civil Registry Law, we have to register them because this is one way where we could help our government and private planners to come up with their appropriate program,” Usman stressed.

Abdulrahman A. Kara, Information Technology officer of BPDA, presented the proposed RSCom website.  The website contains approved resolutions, news articles, minutes of the meeting, agenda of the upcoming meetings, summits, TWG seminars and workshops, RSDP programs, archived photos and videos of the meetings, and other activities of the committee. This was responded by suggestions such as the inclusion of the member ministries’ logos, links for the member ministries, and the management of the website.

PSA-BARMM Chief Statistical Specialist Mahmur Sarail discussed the updates on the formulation of the Regional Statistical Development Program (RSDP) 2021-2023 as well as its timeline.  Also, he reiterated the discussions and agreements from the 1st RSCom Special Committee Meeting held last January 13, 2021.

Furthermore, the meeting highlights the approval of resolutions on the creation of the Provincial Statistics Committee, additional members of the RSCom, and RSCom’s official website.

Other matters discussed during the meeting were updates on the regional accounts and the schedule and venue of the next committee meeting.

Attendees include representatives from the Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE), Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC), Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG),  Ministry of Public Works (MPW), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD), Ministry of Basic Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism (MTIT), Ministry of Environment, Natural Resource, and Energy (MENRE), Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO), Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH), Technical Management Services-Office of the Chief Minister (TMS-OCM), BARMM Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (BARMM-READi), and Bangsamoro Treasury Office (BTO). (Mary Lovella L. Lastimosa with reports from Janaima Ebrahim, BPDA-BARMM)