Phil, BARMM governments agree on key points at IGRB

THE national government will soon be transferring a number of its operational functions as well as properties to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

This developed as both the national and the regional governments have agreed to re-establish the Department of Foreign Affairs consular office, and set up a Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regional office in the BARMM.

These were among the key agreements reached in the 13th Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) meeting in Pasig City on February 24, a non-working holiday, as declared by the President, officials said.

BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, the IGRB co-chair for the Bangsamoro government, underscored the body's goal of bringing government services closer to the Bangsamoro people.

"In essence, we desired to bring government services that are not currently being offered by the Bangsamoro Government, closer to the Bangsamoro people. This further gives meaning to the work that we do in the IGR Body; by not limiting our conversations to matters that present conflict or require non-adversarial dispute resolution," Iqbal said BARMM Interior and Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said “several issues were discussed and directives as to concrete steps to take ahead were agreed.”

Budget and Management Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, the IGRB cochairperson for the national government, disclosed other major issues that are being discussed by the body's technical working groups

The IGRB is supported by a Joint Secretariat co-headed by OPAPRU Presidential Assistant Wilben M. Mayor and Bangsamoro Attorney-General Atty. Sha Elijah B. Dumama-Alba.

“Two issues on the agenda were resolved including the reestablishment of the DFA's consular office in Cotabato City for BARMM,” Sinarimbo added.

It can be recalled that the DFA held a consular office in Cotabato City but had ceased to operate. Meanwhile, the PRC has no satellite office within the region, and so setting up a satellite office will ease for BARMM professionals their application for renewal of professional licenses.

Other issues taken up, Pangandaman said, were the conduct of the annual Hajj and Umrah; the nationwide recognition of the Bangsamoro Land Transportation Office (BLTO); and the transfer of properties from the national government to the Bangsamoro government.

"With these achievements in only six months’ time, I know that we will soon see a more united Philippines, where no Filipino is left behind, (and) not even those in the farthest areas of BARMM," Pangandaman said.

She expressed hopes that the body will be able to bring prosperity to the region, saying, "There is still much work to be

MILF thumbs up speedy decommissioning process, calls for PAGs dissolution

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said it remained committed to the peace deal it signed with the Philippine government, including the decommissioning of MILF combatants, Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim of the Bngsamoro region today said.

Sought for comments on calls by four BARMM provincial governors to call off this year’s village elections unless the decommissioning process is completed, Ebrahim, more known as “Kagi Murad,” said in an interview over DXMS Radyo Bida that he sees no problem with the provincial governors’ stance on decommissioning.

The governors want speedy decommissioning of MILF combatants ahead of this year’s village and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

“Like them, we also wanted to speed up the decommissioning process but remember we are doing our part and the government is also doing its part,” he said in the vernacular.

The statement was signed by Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Bai Mariam SangkiMangudadatu, Basilan Gov. Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman and Tawi-Tawi Gov. Yshmael Sali. It was address to Pres. Marcos dated Feb. 20.

Ebrahim said blaming the MILF for the rising criminalities in Mindanao was unfair. He said records would show that violence in the BARMM dropped after the government an MILF peace deal was signed in 2014.

Ebrahim also called on the national government for the disbandment of private armies controlled by politicians in BARMM.

He said it was everybody’s knowledge in Muslim Mindanao region that politicians maintain huge private armed group to protect their interests. Ebrahim did not name any of them.

Mohaqher Iqbal, BARMM education minister and former chief MILF negotiator, corroborated

BARMM extends NDU’s utonomous status to 2025...from P1

No. 07, series of 2021 “Extension of the Validity Period of Autonomous and Deregulated Status Granted to Private Higher Education Institutions”.

Signed by Minister Iqbal, the certificate states that “The extension shall be based on the effectivity of the Autonomous Status granted by the Commission on Higher Education (December 7, 2020 to December 7, 2022) pursuant to CHED Memorandum Order No. 46, series of 2012 Policy-Standard to Enhance Quality Assurance in Philippine Higher Education through an Outcomes-based and Typology Based QA” as approved by the Commission en banc through Resolution No. 913-2020.”

Gracing the launching program were CHED Commissioner Ronald Adamat (NDU Alumnus), Mr. Gleen Mayer Bagani, Executive Assistant (representing Cotabato City Mayor Mohaamad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao), NDU Alumni and partners of the University. The awarding of the Extended Autonomous Status was witnessed by the whole NDU Community – faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents, retirees and alumni. NDU done ahead. But I hope that with these achievements in just a few months’ time, we are all inspired to continue working hard towards our Agenda for Prosperity in BARMM."

Iqbal lauded what he described as “the excellent working relationship between the National and Bangsamoro governments.”

Iqbal cited the IGRB for working overtime, saying: "Notwithstanding the President's declaration that today is a special non-working holiday, all of us chose to be present here today as a gesture of mutual commitment to the strong cooperation and coordination between the national government and the Bangsamoro government, in the name of public service," Iqbal said.

Also present during the meeting were Defense Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. and Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno. Nash B. Maulana

BARMM builds more schools

THE Bangsamoro government continues to build new school buildings designed to withstand calamities, Education Minister Mohaguer Iqbal said.

Mandated with the function to build schools, the Ministry Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) said the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has turned over school buildings constructed for Php7,439,230.56 to the local government of Datu Salibo, Datu Piang, Maguindanao I Divisiondel Sur.

Minister Mohagher Iqbal said the MBHTE had the school buildings constructed to be calamityresilient and “to withstand, hopefully, the test of time.”

MBHTE supported its school building construction projects through its 2018 Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) amounting to P 4,877,715.99 at Ganoy Primary School (GPS) and another at Tee Primary School (TPS) for P 2,561,514.57.

Iqbal, also a Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), said the BARMM through the MBHTE has time and again assured the Bangsamoro population across the region that educational reforms are in place, including the construction of school buildings, addressing the needs of teachers as well as students.

The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and TawiTawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the 63 barangays that constitute BARMM’s Special Geographic Area (SGA). Residents of the SGA barangays voted in favor of joining the BARMM in a plebiscite conducted in February 2019.

BARMM 4,404,288 people with 116 municipalities in Basilan (11); Lanao del Sur (39); Maguindanao (36); Sulu (19); and Tawi-Tawi (11). Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. Nash B. Maulana

BARMM’s inflation rate remains low

DESPITE the slight increase of inflation rate in the region in January of this year, BARMM is still considered "low" across the country placing the region at 4th lowest inflation rate in the Philippines.

The inflation rate across the BARMM region rose to 7.8 percent in January 2023 compared to December 2022 with the lowest inflation rate among all regions in the country at 6.3 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-BARMM) said in a report released Feb. 14.

PSA-BARMM Officer-in-Charge Regional Director Engr. Akan Tula mentioned that the main sources of inflation rate acceleration in the region’s inflation were due to increase in Food and NonAlcoholic Beverages at 9.6 percent compared to the previous month; an increase in Restaurant and Accommodation Services at 12.0 percent compared to 6.9 percent to the previous month; and increase in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 4.5 percent compared to the previous month of December 2022.

“The major contributions to the increase in the region’s inflation rate are due to increase in the prices of commodities like vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking Bananas and pulses such as onions; flour, bread and other bakery products like cassava; housing services or rentals; and prices of gas, oils, and fuels,” Tula said. BIO-BARMM

Phil-Aussie Army drills on-going...from P1

Rillera.

“This exercise is essential to our peacekeeping efforts in this part of the country,” Rillera said.

The 6th ID covers the cities of Cotabato, Tacurong, Koronadal, General Santos and the provinces of Lanao del Sur, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sarangani, where there is presence of local terrorist groups fashioned from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

More than 300 members of the ISISinspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and its allies, the Dawlah Islamiya and the Al-Khobar, have surrendered in batches to units of 6th ID in the past 16 months.

For security reasons, Galido, who was 6th ID commander prior to his assumption last month as chief of WestMinCom in Zamboanga City, and Rillera declined to reveal how many days shall the exercise last.

BARMM okays P130-M investment in...from P1

generating 92 job opportunities for the locals. The proponent is involved in commercial egg production of layer poultry farms.

“This is the second approved investment of the BBOI that focused on halal industry,” said BARMM Trade and Minister Abuamri Taddik, ex-officio BBOI board member.

“BARMM is now in the process of developing and promoting halal industries as a mode of achieving equity and justice among our farmers and producers, and increasing employment opportunities for the domestic labor force,” Minister Taddik said in a statement.

He said region will make halal more competitive, through research and product development, quality assurance measures, value-adding mechanisms, thereby making BARMM an active player in regional and international markets of halal products.

The second investment is the Timako Bay Seafood Resto, is a tourism-related facility and attraction located in Kalanganan II, Cotabato City.

The total project cost of this restaurant is P22,500, 000 and will generate 30 jobs.

The proponent aims to come up with a halal restaurant by the beach type of ambiance, serving satisfying and savory seafood dishes. It will also offer catering services and a function hall that can accommodate a maximum of 200 heads, the BBOI said in a statement.

“The coronavirus pandemic had a devastating impact on the restaurant industry. Hopefully, this registration will significantly increase the possibilities of putting up restaurants to boost the economy of the region,” Board of Governor member Datu Habib S. Ambolodto said.

BBOI BARMM targets P2.5 billion investments this year. During the first two months of 2023, it has already approved investments amounting to P604,790,656 or 24.19 percent of the total target investment for the year.

Chairman Pasigan expressed optimism BBOI can surpass this year’s target.

“BBOI will exert more effort in promoting investments by conducting BARMM –wide Strategic Investment Priorities Plan(SIPP) consultations and will even goes out of its way to attract investors through business coaching and investment facilitation,” Chairman Pasigan said.

IAG’s Bacani elected president of...from P1

City, Philippines, IAG implements a broad portfolio of programs that are centered on the promotion of democracy, rule of law, human rights and pluralism as the foundation of sustainable peace and development.

IAG programs operate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera Administrative Region. IAG

Republic of the Philippines

Cotabato Foundation College Of Science And Technology

Barangay Doroluman, Arakan, Cotabato

Contact No. +639685331496/+639670025670

Email Address: admin@cfcst.edu.ph Website: www.cfcst.edu.ph

The Cotabato Foundation College of Science and Technology (CFCST) announces the opening of the search for two (2) Private Sector Representatives to the CFCST Board of Trustees.

Qualifications:

1. Be a Filipino citizen and of legal age;

2. From an industry, business, or profession preferably related to the CFCST's charter or mandate;

3. Have at least five (5) years of employment, business, or practice of profession in the private sector;

4. Be domiciled in or a resident for at least two (2) years of North Cotabato;

5. Not connected with CFCST or other government agencies and instrumentalities in any manner, for one (1) year immediately prior to his or her nomination to the PSR position;

6. Not currently employed or appointed to any position in the government (local, national, including government-owned and controlled corporations), be it full time or part time, at the time of nomination for the PSR position;

7. Not related to any member of the present Board or their duly-authorized representatives, within fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity; and,

8. Not have been a candidate who lost in any national or local election, except for barangay elections, within one (1) year after such election.

Interested and qualified applicants may inquire from Mr. NHASSER

M. PASANDALAN, CFCST Board Secretary V, thru CP No. 09550465005 or email him at cfcstboardsec@gmail.com with respect to the documentary requirements and other related matters.

Deadline of submission of application, including the attachments, shall be on March 17, 2023 at 5PM.