BTA Parliament pays virtual courtesy call to House Speaker Velasco

 PARLIAMENT MEETS CONGRESS. Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament officials, headed by Speaker Atty. Pangalian M. Balindong, pay virtual courtesy call on December 09,  to newly installed Philippine House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco. (NUALI, PUBLICATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS DIVISION, BTA PARLIAMENT, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)  click above to read more.....

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament paid a virtual courtesy call on Wednesday, December 9, 2020 to newly installed Philippine House of Representatives Speaker Lord Allan Velasco in a virtual meeting held at the BTA Extension Office and Speaker Velasco’s office.

In his message, Parliament Speaker Atty. Pangalian M. Balindong said on behalf of the Bangsamoro Parliament, “it is my honor to congratulate you on your election as Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives”.

“Let me recall that as part of the intergovernmental relations board, provided under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Philippine Congress-Bangsamoro Parliament (PCPB) Forum shall be constituted by both Houses of Congress for purposes of cooperation and coordination of legislative initiatives. Pursuant to Senate concurrent Resolution No.5, this was referred to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Rules,” Balindong added.

Mamasapano’s peace and order, disaster mgt discussed in a joint meeting

 Photo shows PLT Allan J. Java, municipal chief of police, Lt. Col. Elmer Boongaling, commanding officer of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, municipal Mayor Datu Akmad A. Ampatuan, Jr. and Lt. Col. Charlie Banaag, commanding officer of 6th Infantry Battalion (right to left) in joint meeting about the peace and order situation on Tuesday, December 15, at the Sangguniang Bayan session hall. (Anne B. Acosta)  

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao – A joint meeting was conducted by the Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC), Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC), and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (MDRRMC) to strengthen peace and order initiatives in their areas of responsibility.

Mayor Datu Akmad A. Ampatuan Jr. led the meeting on Tuesday, December 15, with the presence of Vice Mayor Tahirodin Benzar A. Ampatuan, Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) Edgardo Padolina, PNP and AFP officers, Sangguniang Bayan members, barangay officials, municipal staff and employees, and department heads, religious sectors, civil society organizations, personnel from DepEd, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Social Services and Development.

The said meeting focused on peace and order, updates on anti-illegal drug campaigns through awareness programs, and records of drug surrenderees.

During presentations, Chief Java gave updates on peace and order situation and the ongoing anti-drug campaign.

“As of recent months, the peace situation is stable in the locality. With regards to campaigns against illegal drugs, it remains manageable because of the active cooperation of barangay officials. Drug surrenderees are also closely monitored,” he said.

“Our troops are always on high alert because of what happened just recently to Datu Piang. We don’t want those incidents to happen to us,” he added.

On the other hand, Lt. Col. Boongaling updated their assessments of the areas under their command about the peace and order situation. Based on pertinent reports, areas are currently stable, with the heightened monitoring of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATs) against lawless groups.

“We all know what happened in Datu Piang. They were surprisingly attacked by a lawless group, the BIFF. To mitigate what happened in Datu Piang, we are collaborating with the forces of the Philippine National Police to safeguard the citizens from acts of terrorism,” he said. 

Apart from updates on security, the RHU presented their accomplishments on the ongoing vaccination for measles-rubella. The unit has achieved a 95 percent rate of vaccinated individuals from the target population.

Meanwhile, issues concerning the unfinished Covid-19 facilities were also discussed to align with the mandates of the national government to build infrastructures for isolation purposes. 

A possibility of putting up a blood bank in Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC) was also included on the plans.

Furthermore, the Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator (MPDC) announced that the said municipality is drug-cleared.

Mayor Ampatuan expressed gratitude to all who supported their programs amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To all staff and employees, department heads, different line agencies, barangay officials, BPATs members, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officers, forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) who monitored and secured the area 24/7 tirelessly, I owe all successes to you,” he said. (Anne B. Acosta)

NoCot town ranks 16th among most competitive towns

 PEOPLE-CENTERED. Mayor Herlo Guzman Jr. of Kabacan, North Cotabato (with microphone), listens to the people of Barangay Nangaan during his visit to the area on Wednesday, December 16. The mayor regularly meets with village people to know what they need so the local government can provide them. (PHOTO COURTESY OF KABACAN LGU, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)  

COTABATO CITY – For the second time around, the local government of Kabacan in North Cotabato was included in this year’s competitive municipalities in the country by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).

“The credit should go to all the workers of the municipal government as well as the people they have been serving,” Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman Jr said in a statement on Thursday, December 17.

Kabacan was ranked as the 16th most competitive town from 489 municipalities and cities nationwide. Last year, the town was ranked 23rd by the NCC-Philippines on its list.

“Amid the pandemic, Kabacan has been working doubly hard to ensure that the ‘new normal’ situation will not affect the local government’s services to its constituents,” Guzman said.

“Special mention to the cooperation and good relationship of Kabacan’s tri-people of Christians, Muslims, and Indigenous Peoples,” he added.

He said the entry of more investments in town this year was a “vote of confidence” of investors to the local government unit.

The mayor vowed to improve governance based on the local government's four pillars: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency. (EDWIN FERNANDEZ, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

DILG turns over supervision of Cotabato City, 63 barangays in NorCot to BARMM

 HISTORIC EVENT. Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo M. Año (left) officially turns over on Tuesday, December 15, the supervision of Cotabato City and 63 barangays from North Cotabato to BARMM Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Naguib G. Sinarimbo (right). (ZSDIOLANAN, PUBLICATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS DIVISION, BTA PARLIAMENT, MINDANAO EXPOSE’) 

COTABATO CITY – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officially turned over on Tuesday, December 15, the supervision of Cotabato City and 63 barangays from North Cotabato to the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during a ceremony held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex.

In his message, Secretary of the Interior and Local Government Eduardo M. Año emphasized that ‘now’ is the time for us to win together.

“The future not only of the Bangsamoro but of the whole of Mindanao depends in every action and decision we make as Bangsamoro Organic Law implementers,” Año said.

Año stressed the people have spoken and their out cry for autonomy resounding loud and clear throughout the archipelago.

“Cotabato City and 63 barangays of North Cotabato, including DILG regional office properties, assets and records will be under BARMM government,” he said.

Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim stressed in his message that now more than ever, ‘we ask our dear constituents to find commonalities among our differences’.

“To choose hope over fear, to choose unity over division, and to work together in co-creating the Bangsamoro reflective of our shared stories as Moros, Christian settlers, and Indigenous communities,” Ebrahim said.

Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, minister of the Interior and Local Government, said the turnover marks another significant milestone as “we gave meaning to the popular will of the people of Cotabato City and the 63 barangays from North Cotabato following the plebiscite last year”.

“In behalf of the Bangsamoro government, it is my honor to receive the supervision of the local government units of Cotabato City and the 63 barangays in North Cotabato,” he said.

Other officials who witnessed the historic event were National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, DILG Undersecretary Marjorie Jalosjos, PNP Chief Debold Sinas, Department of Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, who represented Carlos Dominguez III via Zoom, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Undersecretary David Diciano, who represented Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. via Zoom, Grand Mufti Abu Huraira Udasan, Executive Secretary Abdulraof Macacua, and Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal. Provincial governors and mayors also attended the ceremony. (GALao, Publication and Media Relations Division, BTA Parliament)

DENR turns over care for protectedareas, assets to BARMM

 ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION TURNOVER. DENR Undersecretary Jim Sampulna (3rd, left) and MENRE-BARMM minister gesture the “fist-bump” after the turnover of BARMM protected areas previously under the care of Regions 9, 10, and 12. The protected assets included the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Region 9, the Lake Lanao Watershed in Region 10, and the Liguasan Marsh in Region 12. (PHOTO COURTESY OF MENRE-BARMM, MINDANAO EXPOSE’) 

COTABATO CITY – Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) handed over the protection of assets, forest covers, and natural resources in areas now officially under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

On Thursday afternoon, December 17, DENR Undersecretary Jim Sampulna of the Enforcement, Mining and Muslim Affairs Division, led the official turnover of BARMM environment field offices and assets in Regions 9, 10, and 12 to the BARMM’s Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE).

The turnover included the DENR field office here and the assigned MENRE-BARMM office for the 63 villages in North Cotabato. This city and the 63 North Cotabato villages opted to join the almost 21-month-old region in a two-part plebiscite held last January and February 2019.

During the turnover, Sampulna said the DENR national office will continuously coordinate with the MENRE-BARMM for environmental and natural resources concerns of the region.

“We are willing to guide the administration of environmental and natural resources projects in the BARMM," Sampulna said as he cited the instruction of DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu for close coordination with the MENRE-BARMM.

MENRE-BARMM Minister Abdulraof Macacua, meanwhile, vowed to take good care of the region’s natural assets.

“Now that Cotabato City and the 63 barangays of North Cotabato are officially part of the BARMM, we envision a society that features greener and more climate-smart values,” Macacua said.

Present during the turnover were DENR-12 Executive Director Felix Alicer, DENR-9 Assistant Director for Technical Services Ronald Gadot, and DENR-10 acting Assistant Director for Technical Services Aldrich Resma.

Protected areas in the turnover were the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary in Region 9, the Lake Lanao Watershed in Region 10, and the Liguasan Marsh in Region 12.

Supervision and control of other matters that were handed over to the BARMM also included the protected area suitability assessment of Lake Buluan and Liguasan Marsh, and other projects and programs. (NOEL PUNZALAN, PNA, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Datu Unsay conducts joint meeting to focus on local issues

      Photo shows from Datu Unsay municipal Mayor Datu Andal Santiago Ampatuan V, Municipal Administrator Alhamde Kadtong, SFO4 Neressa Bansil, and PMAJ. Regie G. Albellera (left to right), during the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) and local health board joint meeting. (Anne B. Acosta) 

DATU UNSAY, Maguindanao – A joint meeting convened the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) and the local health board, led by municipal Mayor Datu Andal Santiago Ampatuan V, Thursday, December 10, at the municipal conference hall of this town. 

Agenda discussed include disaster management and mitigation, criminality rate, terroristic activities, and other issues confronted amidst the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The said meeting was attended by the heads of MDRRMC, Rural Health Unit (RHU), Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), and Philippine National Police (PNP).