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Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‗ul Akhir 9-15, 1442) | 12 Pages

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Lanao mayors rally BTA extension call, rescind past stance

By ALI G. MACABALANG

LANAO MAYORS NOW FAVOR EXTENSION. Lanao del Sur mayors‘ league meeting on Tuesday. (Full Story on Page A4)

A2 BANGSAMORO

A9 WORLD

A11 TOURISM

BARMM Transition Extension is not about power – Ministers

Biden sworn-in to office as Trump leaves for Florida

Team Mussah: A Trailblazers in Tawi-Tawi’s Media Productions

By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

By ABDUL HANNAN MAGARANG TAGO

By JOHNNY R. LEE, Ph.D

COTABATO CITY: Bangsamoro Government top executives lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo and Mohagher Iqbal answered the inquiries on the proposed extension of the Bangsamoro transition period from 2022 to the year 2025 in a Press Conference held here.

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office Wednesday in a heavily-guarded but sparsely attended ceremony at the US Capitol.

What started as a bunch of rag-tag photo hobbyists, the Mussah Productions is now a full -blown media entity that is now the toss of the town in terms of photo and video productions for various occasions like birthdays, graduation, weddings and festival events.

A2 BTA Parliament adopts official seal, elects additional officers

The Bangsamoro

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

BARMM Transition Extension is not about power – Ministers

By JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

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OTABATO CITY: The 80-seat Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament has adopted its official seal and elected more officers in what its leadership described as another essential push towards building genuine autonomy based on moral administration, stable peace and meaningful growth.

The regional legislature passed in session here on Jan. 19 Parliament Bill No. 24led by Speaker sustainable aaon Tuesday, Jan. 19, voted to pass Bill No. 24 adopting its official seal reflective of ―its functions, and the struggles and aspirations of its people.‖ Speaker Pangalian Balindong, a veteran in regional and national lawmaking works, and other key parliament officials showcased the sample of the circular seal after the session, which jived the second day of commemorative events for the 2nd founding anniversary of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The seal contains colors similar to those in the BARMM flag – green, yellow, red, and white.

Two green circles form the outer and inner borders of the seal. The words ―Bangsamoro Parliament‖ are in green over white background in the upper portion between the two borders, with the acronym ―BARMM‖ written in white over red in the lower portion between the two borders. The lowest segment contains ‗2019‘ being the founding year of the news autonomous region.

In the center of the seal is the flag of the BARMM shaped in a shield surrounded in horseshoe shape by 80 green boxes representing the total number of parliament members.

The kris, a traditional Moro sword, embedded in the flag represents Bangsamoro‘s struggle for the right to self-determination; the crescent represents moral governance. Seven-pointed stars represent the provinces and cities that compose the region: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi; the cities of Marawi, Lamitan, and Cotabato; as well as the cluster of 63 autonomy-opting barangays in North Cotabato.

Above the shield shaped flag is an open book sitting on a stand, signifying the ―living adherence of the Parliament to the rule of law.‖ The Bangsamoro organic Law or R.A. 11054 provides in Section 4 that ―the Official Parliament Seal may be used in all official acts, communications, and other documents of the Bangsamoro Parliament and its members, alongside the Official Bangsamoro Seal…‖ At Tuesday‘s plenary session, the BTA also elected additional parliament officers, namely Members Ziaur-Rahman Adiong and Nabil Tan as deputy speakers for Lanao del Sur and Sulu, respectively; Paisalin Tago as deputy majority floor leader, and Baintan Ampatuan as deputy minority floor leader.

Representing BARMM Chief Minister Ahod ―Hadji Murad‖ Ebrahim, Regional Executive Secretary Abdulraof ―Sammy Gambar‖ Macacua, a parliament member also, lauded in a brief speech the adoption of the official legislative seal and the election of additional BTA key officers.

The parliament suspended its regular session until next week, January 26, for the conduct of events marking the 2nd BARMM foundation anniversary celebration.

Speaker Balindong joined by Majority Floor Leader Lanang Ali Jr. and fellow lawyer-members Omar Yasser Sema and Jose Lorena subsequently held a press conference.

ALI G. MACABALANG

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OTABATO CITY: Bangsamoro Government top executives lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo and Mohagher Iqbal answered the inquiries on the proposed extension of the Bangsamoro transition period from 2022 to the year 2025 in a Press Conference held here.

MEET THE PRESS. Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo (left), spokesman of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and concurrently the Minister of Interior and Local Government (MILG) explains to reporters in a Press Conference during the launching of the week-long 2nd Founding Anniversary of BARMM in Cotabato City that the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) still have many uncompleted obligations in the implementation of the peace process, particularly on the normalization track. Meanwhile Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal (right) expressed that the bid to extend the period of transition is to ensure that “the foundation of peace shall be well-established on the ground and the extension is not about power. (Contributed Photo) The founding of the Iqbal, also the edu―Si OPAPP (Office of grant in 2020, Iqbal cation minister, strongly said the region‘s differ- the Presidential Adviser BARMM, he said, is the of the expressed that the bid ent ministries and offic- on the Peace Process) culmination Bangsamoro‘s struggle to extend the period of es have prepared sev- Secratary Carlito Galvez transition is to ensure eral plans, projects and Jr., siya po mismo ay for the right to selfthat ―the foundation of programs. However, its nagsabi na hindi kaka- determination. ―We‘ve spent over a peace shall be wellimplementations were yanin na matapos ang thousand of lives and established on the (ng drastically hampered by implementasyon battles, ground.‖ the Coronavirus out- peace pocess) hang- countless ―‖The extension is gang 2022. Kaya ang blood, and tears for break. not about power. It is ―So walang move- recommendation niya sa setting up the BARMM. also not about trying to ment, walang gathering, Pangulo (Rodrigo Duter- We need to rekindle extend our presence in pati mga laborers hindi te) ay i-extend ang tran- that spirit in each of the officials of the region as the Bangsamoro Autontayo maka-recruit kasi sition,‖ he said. omous Region in Mus―We should all con- well as the key functionnatatakot sila. So karalim Mindanao mihan dun sa projects tribute to ensuring that aries, and the Bang(BARMM),‖ he said. agreements‘ samoro in general,‖ natin hindi na- peace Iqbal explained that implement. Kaya nga- dream of creating a Sinarimbo said.

Likewise, Health one of the bases for the progressive yon nagpasa ng batas peaceful Minister Amirel Usman extension is for the inis ang Parliament extend- Bangsamoro terim government of the ing (the availability of) achieved. The only way announced that his minday, headed by Chief the funds for the pro- to achieve that is to istry will conduct a synMinister Ahod Ebrahim, jects and programs (in postpone the 2022 elec- chronized medical and to fully accomplish its 2020 Bangsamoro ap- tion at the regional level, surgical mission across functions and duties propriations) to Decem- and ensure that by the the Bangsamoro region during the transition next 3 years we are able as part of the celebraber 2021,‖ Iqbal said. period.

On the other hand, to complete all the work tion.

Usman said strict He said that since BARMM Spokesman that needs to be done, health protocols will be the inception of the and Local Government so that the peace agree―May Bangsamoro GovernMinister Sinarimbo reit- ment is complied with, implemented. ment in March 2019, it erated that the Govern- and the organic law is mga holding areas po just continued to impleimplemented,‖ tayo kasama natin yung ment of the Philippines fully mga police. Kasama po ment the unfinished and the Moro Islamic Sinarimbo said. programs and projects Sinarimbo said the natin ang mga health Liberation Front (MILF) para maiof the previous Autonostill have many uncom- essence of the celebra- warriors mous Region in Muslim pleted obligations in the tion is to relive the strug- sakatuparan po ito ng Mindanao (ARMM) with implementation of the gle of the Moros which matiwasay at hindi po its remaining peace process, particu- led to the establishment tayo magbi-breach sa funds.

With the larly on the normaliza- of the Bangsamoro Gov- protocols,‖ he said.

JIJ BARMM‘s first block ernment. tion track.

Across BARMM

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

3-year transition ‘is too short’ for BARMM to fulfil tasks

A3

Memos on BARMMfunded edifices in Maguindanao inked

By ALI G. MACABALANG

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OTABATO CITY: Lawmakers and national officials alongside private and transnational peace process facilitators are one in belief that the three-year transitional term is ―too short‖ for the interim Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) governance to fully realize its basic and legal mandates.

Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael ―Toto‖ Mangudadatu pointed this out in his speech at the opening of the joint committee hearing Wednesday, Jan. 11 on House bills seeking to postpone the first election of BARMM‘s regular parliament members set in 2022.

In his written speech, copy-furnished the Philippine Muslim Today e-newspaper, Mangudadatu also announced the filing this month of another bill, which brought the number of enabling legislative measures to five and bolstered the momentum for extension in the three-year lifespan of the 80-seat Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), an interim BARMM ruling body.

Mangudadatu, a former three-term governor in Maguindanao, is the main author of House Bill 8117. The four other measures are HB Bills 8116, 8161, 8222 and 8277 sponsored by Deputy Speakers Loren Legarda and Isidro Ungab, Majority Floor Leader Martin Romuladez and another unnamed author.

Joint committee hearing The House Committees on Suffrage & Electoral Reforms, Muslim Affairs, and Peace, Reconciliation and Unity held a maiden joint hearing on Wednesday via zoom to start deliberating and harmonizing the five legislative measures.

Rep. Mangudadatu told the hearing that the House Special Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, which he chairs, had held initial briefings on the implementation status of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro or (CAB) last Nov. 18, 26 and Dec. 14.

The CAB, which the government signed with

Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu (PMT Photo) the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), is the main basis in the enactment by Congress of R.A. 11054 in July 2018.

The law, known more as Bangsamoro organic Law (BOL), was ratified by overwhelming majority of electorates in the 29-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which has been replaced by BARMM. Mangudadatu said his initial committee briefings gathered views from officials of BARMM, national entities led by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the Department of Finance (DOF) as co-chair in the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB), civil society groups led by the Mindanao People‘s Caucus (MPC), and the Independent Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT).

The TPMT, which is tasked to assess and review the CAB implementation until the signing of an exit agreement by the government and MILF can happen, and the MPC, which has been helping facilitate the Mindanao peace process, have categorically mentioned in their recent assessment reports about the ―lack of time‖ for the BTA to fulfil fully its major mandates on normalization and political tracks, Mangudadatu said. ―From the three brief-

ings, presenters from BARMM, OPAPP, DOF, MPC and TPMT unanimously claimed that the (COVID-19) pandemic adversely affected the implementation of the CAB, (notably in) the pending enactment of vital (ordinances) like the Revenue, Electoral and Local Government Codes, and the implementation normalization track,‖ he said.

The normalization track requires disarmament and decommissioning of the MILF‘s 40,000 combatants, only 12,000 of whom have been decommissioned in a process stunted in the pandemic, which prompted the diversion of much government strides and fund resources to containing the spread of the viral disease. Presently, the government has paid up only P100,000 to each decommissioned combatants out of P1-million commitment to each of them under the government‘s mission to transform the former rebels to ―peaceful and productive life,‖ Mangudadatu said. ―There is still a long way (for the government) to meet the targeted decommissioning of 40,000 combatants,‖ he said, Citing the circumstantial setbacks, lawmakers, national and regional officials, and other stakeholders have reached a conclusion: ―It is very unlikely that

(BARMM interim officials) can put everything in place in three years,‖ he stressed.

Mangudadatu recalled having agreed with Chief Minister Ahod ―Hadji Murad‖ Ebrahim and other BARMM key officials the parameters of the term extension to 2025, and the subsequent signal of support by President Duterte that buoyed House Speaker Lord Velasco and key leaders in the majority and minority blocks to offer co-authorship in the enabling bills.

Clearer explanations Rep. Mangudadatu is among lawmakers and national dignitaries invited to the culmination here Thursday, Jan. 21, of the BARMM‘s 2nd foundation anniversary. The date is reckoned with the ratification of R.A. 11054 or BOL in a plebiscite two years ago.

Invited national cabinet officials like Finance Sec. and IGRB co-chair Sonny Dominguez, DILG Sec. Eduardo Año, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., among others, would also likely expound on the national government‘s corroboration for the essence of BTA transition extension.

The commemorative events kicked off on Jan. 18 here simultaneously field celebrations in Maguindanao, Lanao del including Marawi City, Basilan including Lamitan City, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the base of in Pikit town of 63 villages in North Cotabato, all component areas of BARMM. After the kick-off events, BARMM Ministers Mohagher Iqbal of education, Naguib Sinarimbo of local government, and Amirel Usman of health held a 3-YEAR | A10

COTABATO CITY: Pursuing its drive of better governance based on ―moral‖ administration in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the interim regional officialdom will construct modern town halls, public markets and legislative buildings of five Maguindanao municipalities this year.

BARMM‘s Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo alongside Chief Minister Ahod ―Hadji Murad‖ Ebrahim and Executive Secretary Abdulraof ―Sammy Gambar‖ Macacua inked memos of agreement/understanding (MOAs/MOUs) with the mayors of Talayan, Kabuntalan, South Upi, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao on Jan. 18.

The signing ceremony was held here as part of many events kicking off the celebration of BARMM‘s 2nd founding anniversary.

The funds for the agreed infrastructure facilities including town halls, market buildings and legislative edifices in the five recipientmunicipalities will also come from Chief Minister‘s Local Government Facilities Development Program being supervised by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), Sinarimbo said.

Cohesion is imperative in the implementation of the projects, Sinarimbo said, stressing their ―unshaken belief that the cooperation between the LGUs [local government umits] and the Bangsamoro Government would redound to better services for our people.‖ CM Ebrahim underscored the need for building modern support facilities to flesh out his administration‘s commitment to shape ―genuine autonomy‖ based on ―moral management‖ in the infant autonomous region, which covers the five provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan and 63 villages in North Cotabato. ―Nakaline-up na ang mga programa at proyekto ng ibat-ibang ministries at OCM (Office of Chief Minister). Ito ang main reason why we are opting for an extension and we hope this will be materialized inshaallah,‖ Ebrahim said.

Last December, similar MOAs were inked between by Sinarimbo and Macacua with the mayors of Butig, Lumbaca Unayan, Sultan Dumalondong, and Poona Bayabao, Lanao del Sur, and Pandag in Maguindanao for the construction of two-floor town hall buildings worth P25-million each.

On Jan. 18 also, the OCM also signed the executive order formally creating the project management office of SALAM Bangsamoro — an office that will provide assistance to combatants of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in their transition to civilian and productive life. ―The (new office) will initially cover 10,000 combatants who will be provided with cash assistance,‖ Sinarimbo said.

He said the assistance will be based on beneficiaries‘ compliance with three mandatory requirements — enrollment into peace education, community services rendering, and skills development training.

On the same day, the OCM signed another MOA with the Cotabato City State Polytechnic College (CCSPC) for the school to adopt and carry out the Chief Minister‘s Special Scholarship Program for Indigent Bangsamoro Students.

ALI G. MACABALANG

A4 ‘Genuine autonomy’ shaping up in BARMM – CM Ebrahim COTABATO CITY: Region Chief Minister Ahod ―Hadji Murad‖ Ebrahim has appealed for support from authorities and constituents in building strong foundations in the governance of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, saying that ―genuine autonomy‖ has been gradually shaping up in the infant geo-political entity.

Speaking at the kick-off ceremony here of events marking the BARMM 2nd founding anniversary, Ebrahim said that initial successes in efforts to build ―genuine autonomy‖ in BARMM have been achieved, adding that cooperation from the public and private sectors can further bolster the momentum. ―We can proudly say that we have achieved genuine autonomy that encapsulates the long history of Bangsamoro people, our sacrifices, and our shared visions for the next generation,‖ Murad said.

But he added that since its creation two years ago, the interim BARMM governance has seen ―an incredible number of challenges and opportunities that defined what makes of our new bureaucracy and how we can address such concerns that will ultimately benefit everyone.‖ Ebrahim reiterated that the next level of Bangsamoro struggle could be deemed successful ―if the moral governance thrives.‖ ―We cannot claim success in this next level of our struggle if we will not be successful in building ideal governance, which is founded on moral governance,‖ he said, hinting at the revolutionary movement pursued by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as the initial stage.

Ebrahim is concurrent chairman of the MILF, which forged with the government two major peace deals in 2013 and 2014 that translated to the enactment in July 2018 of R.A. 11054 or Bangsamoro Organic Law creating the BARMM in replacement of the 29year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Prior to Ebrahim‘s address, BARMM spokesman and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo told a national media entity in a podcast that the new autonomous governance now enjoys genuine fiscal autonomy in comparison to the defunct ARMM bureaucracy‘s dependence to congressional appropriations. BARMM‘s subsidies like the yearly block grant are automatically allocated from the national treasury.

Ebrahim sounded the ―gong‖ (Muslim percussion instrument) to signify the formal start on Jan. 18 of commemorative events that would culminate Thursday, Jan. 21.

He subsequently led the symbolic dispersal of relief goods, economic (fishery and agricultural) support packages and health facilities as well the launching of disaster-mitigating vehicles and equipment, including two rescue speedboats acquired by the autonomous government to address emergency situations.

Similar symbolic launches of infrastructure projects and life-enhancing initiatives were launched simultaneously in the BARMM component provinces of Maguindanao, Basian, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan cities and the center of 63 barangays in North Cotabato.

ALI G. MACABALANG

Across Mindanao

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

Lanao mayors rally BTA extension call, rescind past stance

By ALI G. MACABALANG

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OTABATO CITY: The mayors‘ league of Lanao del Sur has officially endorsed the campaign for extension in the lifespan of the interim Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governance, rescinding effectively its unofficial stance on the issue that once provoked debates in traditional and social media networks late last year.

The 39-member league made the endorsement through a unanimous resolution adopted in a meeting in Marawi City on Tuesday at a time officials and workers of the BARMM parliament and cabinet agencies were holding here various events in the second day of celebration for the 2nd founding anniversary of autonomous governance.

Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal ―Bombit‖ Alonto-Adiong Jr. witnessed the convening of the league‘s meeting held shortly after the conduct of groundbreaking rites for the construction of four municipal hall buildings in his province and turnover of facilities meant to address COVID-19 pandemic in his province, BARMM‘s spokesman and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo told the Philippine Muslim Today enewspaper on Wednesday.

League president Dimnatang ―Jimmy‖ Pansar, mayor of Butig town, convened the meeting for him and his member-mayors to come up with an ―official stand‖ on the issue about the call for extension in the three-year lifespan of the 80-seat Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim governing body of BARMM. After a brief discussion facilitated by Marantao Mayor Akhira Alonto, the league unanimously passed the resolution ―supporting‖ Congressional proceedings meant to postpone the 2022 election of the 80 regular members of BARMM parliament to extend the current term of President Duterteappointed BTA members up to 2025, Sinarimbo said.

As of last month, at least four bills have

Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo meets with Mayors Jimmy Pansar of Butig & Akhira Alonto of Marantao , both in Lanao del Sur in a file photo. been filed for the purpose in Congress by Maguindanao Rep. Esmael ―Toto‖ Mangudadatu, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez and Deputy Speaker Isidro Ungab of Davao City.

Mangudadatu earlier said three concerned House committees have launched meetings as well as consultations to synergize the four bills, and aired optimism for the passage of a harmonized version this year.

Tuesday‘s resolution effectively rescinded views of Lanao Sur mayors aired in a Nov. 11, 2020 meeting purportedly signifying negative sentiments about the call for BTA transition extension. Gov. Adiong, who was quoted as one of sources in one published report, clarified earlier that the mayors‘ league had not made any formal stand yet until its passage of

resolution Tuesday.

Mayors Pansar and Alonto, in an interview here with the Philippine Muslim Today last December, corroborated the governor‘s statement, saying all mayors in Lanao del Sur and their provincial leaders had initiated ―no effort to resent the extension call.‖ In his Facebook post, Minister Sinarimbo thanked Governor Adiong ―for generously hosting the provincial activities of the different ministries of the Bangsamoro Government in connection with the commemoration of the 2nd Founding Anniversary of the Bangsamoro Government.‖ ―It was a full day for us,‖ Sinarimbo said, referring to Tuesday, during which the governor received him and BARMM Public Works Minister Ed Guerra in breaking grounds for the construction of four-floor

municipal hall edifices in Butig, Sultan Dumalondong, Poona Bayabao, and Lumbaca Unayan worth P25-million each from the Ministry of Interior and Local Government‘s (MILG‘s) budget.

Sinarimbo said the BARMM government on the same day turned over to the Integrated Provincial Health Office the ―completed‖ 100bed COVID-19 Isolation Center built in Marawi City and a similar building on the same capacity for the Dr. Serapio Montañer Hospital serving as district health facility in Malabang coastal town.

The momentum in Tuesday field events in Lanao del Sur, all forming as part of the BARMM 2nd founding anniversary, was highlighted by the mayors‘ resolution endorsing officially the BTA transition extension call. AGM

Post-symbolic ground breaking program hosted by Gov. Bombit Adiong for MPW Minister Ed Guerra and MILG Minister Naguib Sinarimbo.

Across Mindanao

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

6 die, 1 missing in military chopper crash in Bukidnon

By ALI G. MACABALANG

C

OTABATO CITY: At least three Air Force personnel and three Army servicemen were confirmed dead when the chopper carrying them crashed into a village in Bukidnon Saturday afternoon.

The number of fatalities could rise to seven as initial reports said authorities were searching for a seventh passenger missing and believed to have perished also somewhere else.

The ill-fated UH-1H Air Force helicopter was on a resupply mission for a military unit in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon when its engine allegedly malfunctioned, causing the crash at around 2pm. On a grassy section of Barangay Bulonay Impasogong in the same city, the Army‘s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said in an initial report.

Reports attributed to Major Rodulfo Cordero, 4ID public affairs office chief, named the PAF fatalities as Lt. Col. Arnie Arroyo, the chopper pilot from Zamboanga City, 2Lt. Mark Anthony Caabay, co-pilot; and crew Sgt Stephen Agarado; Army Sergeants Mervin Bersabe and Julius Salvado, and CAA Jerry Ayukdo.

Civilian residents living near the crash site took photos of the chopper‘s wreckage and dead bodies, and posted in social media networks to alarm authorities.

Local scribe Neptalie Batolenio also posted a file photo of the slain Lt. Col. Arroyo taken while on an earlier flight.

Soldiers have secured the crash site

WRECKAGE OF THE ILL-FATED CHOPPER. (FB) while another military team was reported searching for a seventh passenger of the illfated helicopter.

Higher authorities were reportedly con-

floods in low-lying areas of Region 10, notably in nearby Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City.

AGM

Bodies of the fatalities in the crashed choper.

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ducting a thorough probe on the incident, which happened at a time the social media networks brimmed reports about strong downpours causing

he E-newspaper copy (Issuu format ) of Philippine Muslim Today which was officially launched with its Maiden Issue (Vol. 1, No. 1) on 19 June 2020 can still be read Free for the whole month of January.

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For the Editor-In-Chief JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL Managing Editor

A5

BARMM’s economy growing despite pandemic – RBOI COTABATO CITY: The overall economy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is steadily growing despite adversities wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the BARMM‘s Regional Board of Investment (ROBOI).

In a report published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Jan. 2, RBOI Chairman Ishak Mastura even aired optimism for brighter prospects this year and beyond due the region‘s improving peace and order condition.

In earlier reports, Mastura attributed the stabilizing security situation to the silencing of guns by majority combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front prescribed in the revolutionary group‘s major peace accords with the government that led to the establishment of the more autonomous BARMM governance in 2019.

Mastura said his optimism was bolstered by the upcoming influx of investments in the region worth P14-billion mainly from the Community Wireless and Power Corporation (CWPC), an internet-developing company, within this quarter.

He said the RBOI has just approved the CWPC application to invest in the region, the first-ever in the advent of the 10-month economic crisis brought by the pandemic. The internet firm eyed the progressive town of Wao in Lanao del Sur as pilot area for its project, he said.

Previous investments In 2019, the RBOI had recorded PHP4.1 billion investments, which included the Lamitan Agri-Business Corporation that signed up to pour in P1.8-billion capital for Cavendish banana plantations in Basilan province.

Other investors were the JMI Sand and Gravel Truck Services Corporation with investments worth PHP1.4 billion in Maguindanao; the Maguindanao Corn Development DSA-1 Corporation worth PHP515 million located in Datu Saudi Ampatuan of the same province, according to RBOI data.

In the same year, the Wao Development Corporation also invested PHP306-million for a new pineapple packing plant in Wao municipality, Lanao del Sur; and the Hong Kong Feng Sheng Heritage Philippines Inc. based in Balabagan, Lanao del Sur started opening P100- million abaca fiber processing plant, the regional data showed.

Agriculture Lawyer Mastura said agriculture has remained as a major focal investment sector in the region, pointing out that most if not investors in farming activities have steadily survived in the pervasion of COVID-19 pandemic. ―The agricultural sector has somehow managed to assuage the crunch brought by the effects of Covid-19 in the region,‖ Mastura said.

He said BARMM remains a good choice for agriculture-based investments in the south, with this city as investment center.

Finance With the BARMM‘s recent formal acquisition of supervision authority over the fast-progressing city, prospects have heightened for more investments to come this year, particularly in banking and finance.

Mastura noted that the city is situated in the heart of Central Mindanao, a strategic financial center having the most number of branches from both government and private banking institutions. AGM ALI G. MACABALANG

A6

Editorial

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

DATU YUSOPH B. MAMA Chairman, Board of Trustees DEAN MASIDING NOOR YAHYA President/CEO JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL Vice President for Internal Affairs ALI G. MACABALANG Vice President for External Affairs ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL Treasurer MACOD D. RASCAL Secretary CASAN C. CANA Auditor

PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TODAY MASIDING NOOR YAHYA Editor-In-Chief and Publisher JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL Managing Editor Bureau Chief for National Capital Region ALI G. MACABALANG News Editor Bureau Chief for Bangsamoro & Central Mindanao Regions

As the BARMM turns two

ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL Bureau Chief for Northern Mindanao Region JOHNNY R. LEE Bureau Chief for Western Mindanao Region PHIL MUSLIM Layout Artist FATIMA ORTIL-JANNARAL Advertising Sales Director for NCR NUR-ALI A. MACABALANG Correspondent COLUMNISTS | WRITERS: ATTY. HOMOBONO A. ADAZA ATTY. BAYAN G. BALT BENJ BANGAHAN, M.D., FPCP, FPCCP ATTY. JUAN PONCE ENRILE JOHNNY R. LEE, Ph.D ATTY. NASSER A. MAROHOMSALIC FILEMON G. ROMERO, Ph.D ATTY. MEHOL K. SADAIN DR. ABDUL HANNAN M. TAGO DISCLAIMER: Opinion of the writer expressed herein is not necessarily the opinion of Philippine Muslim Today nor of its management.

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Front page of PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TODAY previous issue.

21, 2021 marks the second founding anniversary of the BangJ anuary samoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM). It has been two years since the Philippine Muslim in Mindanao voted to give another Muslim regional autonomous setup a chance after the widely perceived failure of the previous one.

As the end of the transition period for the BARMM draws near, and with some quarters on the inside clamoring for extension, how is the BARMM doing? For some, it would be premature to judge how it fared, considering that it had inherited many of the ARMM's problems and had very little to begin with. Others are saying they are still hopeful that change, slow as it is in coming, would eventually come gradually and permeate every corner of the troubled land. Still others, playing the doomsayer card, are predicting another fiasco wrought with corruption, no different from the setup it had replaced. While people do have a right to be optimistic, at the same time there is a need to be vigilant, considering how this region's version of democracy still runs most aspects of civil society.

While indeed it is an occasion to be celebrated, the second anniversary of the BARMM should also be an ocassion that serves as a firm reminder to everyone from the BARRM government's hallways in Cotabato City to the humble countryside hut in the farthest reaches of the region. Those in power should take heed that since the regional battle cry is for Islamic governance, they are duty bound to discharge their duties faithfully, that people gave their overwhelming trust that they will finally make things right, that should they repeat the mistakes and discrepancies that plagued the region's predecessor, BARMM would be doomed to fail as the previous one did. Perhaps the most important of all, they have the Creator to answer to for their misdeeds towards their own people come Judgment Day. The ordinary Moro is not off the hook either. He, like the rest of the Muslims in the included parts of Mindanao, must learn to fully and responsibly exercise his obligations as a citizen of the region and of the country. He must not forget that he too has a role to play in the region's well-being, that he along with others who voted "yes" in the plebiscite, should do their part as well. He should not let time prove that his vote was cast in vain.

As the BARMM turns two, amidst the celebratory fanfare, the ocassion should be that of serious reflection as well.

PMT

SELECTED SAYINGS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)

All God's creatures are His family; and he is the most beloved of God who doeth most good to God's creatures.

Opinion

Ijtihad MEHOL K. SADAIN

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he recent unilateral abrogation by the Department of National Defense of its 1989 Agreement (regulating military and police entry and operation inside U.P. campuses) with the University of the Philippines has brought the meaning and issue of academic freedom to the fore, with the U.P. community crying out that such act by DND infringes on, among others, its academic freedom. So, what really is academic freedom and why does it matter so much?

Article XIV, Sec. 5(2) of the 1987 Constitution assures the enjoyment of academic freedom by all institutions of higher learning. Save for a rearrangement of words, it is an exact repeat of Art. XV, Sec. 8(2) of the 1973 Constitution. Even earlier, the 1935 Constitution in its Article XIV, Sec. 5 already provided that ―Universities established by the State shall enjoy academic freedom.‖ Its meaning has been ex-

pounded in jurisprudence. In the case of Epicharis T. Garcia vs. The Faculty Admission Committee, Loyola School of Theology (G.R. No. L-40779, November 28, 1975), the Supreme Court referred to it as ―the right of a faculty member to pursue his studies in his particular specialty and thereafter to make known or publish the result of his endeavors without fear that retribution would be visited on him in the event that his conclusions are found distasteful or objectionable to the powers that be, whether in the political, economic or academic establishments.‖ It then proceeds to quote educator Sidney Hook (from his book Academic Freedom and Academic Anarchy) who defined academic freedom as ―the freedom of professionally qualified persons to inquire, discover, publish and teach the truth as they see it in the field of their competence. It is subject to no control or authority except the control or authority of the rational methods by which

Batanes to Tawi-Tawi

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

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WHAT IS ACADEMIC FREEDOM? (Part I) truths or conclusions are sought and established in these disciplines.‖ The same case quotes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Frankfurter, who himself was an academician, to the effect that it is the business of a university to provide an ―atmosphere which is conducive to speculation, experiment and creation‖, and where ―there prevail the four essential freedoms‖ of a university: ―to determine on academic grounds, who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught and who may be admitted to study.‖ (concurring opinion in Sweezy vs. New Hampshire, 354 US 234, 236 [1957], quoting a report on The Open Universities in South Africa) In the 1990 case of Ariel Non, et. al. vs. Hon. Sancho Danes (G.R. No. 89317, May 20, 1990) the Supreme Court citing a line of decided cases, elaborated on the connection between a university‘s academic freedom and the rights of students, thus: ―the right of an institution of higher learning to set academic standards

cannot be utilized to discriminate against students who exercise their constitutional rights to speech and assembly.‖ Philippine jurisprudence is replete with cases on academic freedom, the rulings of which indicate that it is both an institutional right which the Constitution grants to institutions of higher learning, as well as to faculty members therein as to their manner of teaching and research in their fields of expertise or specialization, free from outside influence or control by people who may be opposed to their knowledge and methodology.

It is a freedom of a university as it is also a freedom of an individual teacher in the said university.

Former U.P. President Vicente G. Sinco, in his classic book on Philippine Political Law quotes Dr. Marcel Bouchard, Rector of the University of Dijon in France, on the distinction between freedom of the university and the individual scholar, in this wise: ―One must distinguish between the autonomy of the university as a corporate body, and the

freedom of the individual university teacher. The personal aspect of freedom consists in the right of each university teacher to seek and express the truth as he personally sees it, both in his academic work and in his capacity as a private citizen.‖ In sum, therefore, the right to academic freedom encompasses the mutual but sometimes conflicting rights of institutions of higher learning and those of its individual faculty members. The former, as to how it operates as an academic center of learning; and the latter, as to what and how he or she teaches his or her subject of study and competence. These are the rights that our successive Constitutions protect and have protected from 1935 onward, because it is deemed as the cornerstone of a democratic and liberal system of education.

After we explain academic freedom, our next question is may academic freedom be endangered by the coercive power of the State? This will be discussed in the next installment of Ijtihad. MKS

What to do if one GOT Coronavirus?

JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL

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his week I would like to use my Batanes To Tawi-Tawi Column to share with you a very valuable COVID-19 Pandemic information which I am obliged to share for my readers from Basco, Batanes up to southern most part of the Philippines in Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi.

This important and timely Pandemic information was shared to me by a fraternal brother in the Alpha Sigma Phi-1845, Secretary Wendel E. Avisado of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

As everyone knows it is Secretary Avisado‘s department, the DBM that allocates the million of funds needed to buy Vaccines from USA like the Moderna and Pfizer, while China they have the Sinovac and Sinopharm.

Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr, Vaccine Czar is quite busy for he is the only one authorized by President Rodrigo Duterte to do the procurement of these Vaccines from USA and China.

A question is being posed by BBC on what do we know about China‘s coronavirus vaccines?

As an answer to this question is that as the global race to produce a Covid-19 vaccine continues, China appears to have made huge strides, with vaccines from two frontrunners-Sinovac and Sinopharm, already making their way abroad.

And so how does the Sinovac vaccine work?

The Beijing-based bio pharmaceutical company Sinovac is behind the CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine.

It works by using killed viral particles to expose the body‘s immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response.

By comparison the Moderna and Pfizer being developed in USA are mRNA vaccines.

This means part of the coronavirus‘ genetic code is injected into the body, triggering the body to begin making viral proteins, but not the whole virus, which is enough to train

the immune system.

According to DBM Secretary Avisado as what he told me, while everyone is telling you how to NOT catch coronavirus, but NO ONE is saying what to do if you got it.

The DBM Secretary said he is thankful to a Nurse in the United Kingdom (UK) for putting this guide together.

He listed some 26 points of sensible advice that came from this Nurse.

A lot of these are recommendations for how to try to avoid getting coronavirus in the first place: • good hand washing • personal hygiene • social distancing He added that what he has NOT seen a lot of is advice for what happens if you actually got it, which many of us will most likely get it if the proper advice are not followed.

Hence, this friendly neighborhood Nurse listed some of her sensible 26 suggestions: If you get Covid-19, you basically just want to prepare as though you know you‘re

going to get a nasty respiratory bug, like bronchitis or pneumonia. You just have the foresight to know it might come your way!

Things to start doing now: 1. Get 20 minutes sun on your entire body (or as much as possible) every day. This will dramatically increase your Vitamin D levels, which improves your immune system.

2. If affordable take a good general supplement, plus 2000mg Vit C a day. Include ZINC, SELENIUM & GLUTATHIONE. 3. Scott‘s Emulsion is a great general tonic (cod liver oil).

Things you should actually buy ahead of time: 4. Kleenex 5. Paracetamol Cough medicine of choice (check the label and make sure you‘re not doubling up on Paracetamol Zinc lozenges

6. Throat spray like Andolex.

7. Honey and lemon can work just as well!

8. Vicks vaporub for your chest is also a great suggestion.

9. A humidifier would be a good thing to buy and use in your room when you go to bed overnight.

(You can also just turn the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom breathing in the steam).

10. If you have a history of asthma and you have a prescription inhaler, make sure the one you have isn‘t expired and refill it/get a new one if necessary.

11. Meals. This is also a good time to meal prep: make a big batch of your favorite soup to freeze and have on hand.

12. Hydrate hydrate, hydrate! Stock up on whatever your favorite clear fluids are to drink, though tap water is fine you may appreciate some variety!

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Opinion

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

Diliman Way Lessons from Philippine Presidents HOMOBONO A. ADAZA ““Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”– Mark Twain “There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.” – Howard Zinn

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t always gives me immense pleasure to revisit the past and write about it. It is one of my passions and obsessions in life. The past teaches us a lot of valuable lessons which can guide us in our journey through life. All of my ten published books tell the story of my life, my principles, my vision, my ideals, my commitments and my values. They are all narrated and defined in four books of speeches from Freedom Is For the Brave to A Time For Decision. They were all written and publicly delivered during crucial and dangerous times in our history – the Marcos martial law years and the Cory Aquino early years in her presidency.

Many of those speeches are controversial, then and now. The six other books involve documenting the

events of our time from President Marcos to President Benigno Aquino III, correctly dubbed as Pnoy. The six books started with Leaders From Marcos To Arroyo to Capturing the Moments. The writing and publishing will not end there. Not later than March 2021, with God‘s blessings, two books will be published which are collections of my columns in Manila Times and Facebook – tentatively titled Controversies In The Time of Corona Virus and Duterte Sound and Fury.

This column will land in the pages of one of those soon to be published books, including selected comments of those who have read the columns. So let us resume examining lessons from our Presidents after President Carlos Polistico Garcia.

President Diosdado Macapagal: He hails from Lubao, Pampanga. No won-

- Macapagal to Marcos (2)

der, he caused the passage of the Land Reform Law. Why? The province of Pampanga which is in Central Luzon is the center of revolutionary movement in the Philippines. The peasants in Pampanga and the rest of the country have been demanding for land they can cultivate and call their own since time immemorial. Rebellions have started in Pampanga spreading throughout the country.

Socialism germinated in Pampanga as an alternative to free enterprise democracy and the pressing demands of peasants for social justice.

Leading the movement was Pedro Abad Santos who organized the Partido Sosyalista Ng Pilipinas. Later, he joined Crisanto Evangelista to organize the Communist Party of the Philippines. During the Japanese Occupation, Luis Taruc, another Pampangueño, organized a guerrilla group – Hukbong Magpalaya Ng Bayan, nationally known as the Huks. It later graduated into a revolutionary movement with Taruc as its Supreme Leader – Supre-

mo.

Macapagal who topped the bar examinations lived in this kind of environment. He pushed not only for land reform but also an economic development program that would benefit the less fortunate among the citizens.

Like other Presidents, he launched an anti-corruption campaign topped by the investigation conducted by his Secretary of Justice Jose W. Diokno, later to be Senator, into the highly questionable criminal activities of businessman Harry Stonehill on his Manila Bay reclamation project. Stonehill kept a Black Book which was confiscated during one of the raids of his residence and business offices containing names of prominent public officials.

To a certain degree, the Stonehill affair misfired as some of the prominent names included in the list vehemently denied any involvement in the Stonehill bribery and corruption activities.

The most outstanding

objector was Vice- President Emmanuel ―Maning‖Pelaez whose name was included in the list. Pelaez in his whole career as public official was never tainted with graft and corruption. He denounced Macapagal for borrowing his honor. He resigned as Macapagal‘s Secretary of Foreign Affairs and bolted the Liberal Party to join the opposition Nacionalista Party.

Like other anti-graft and corruption campaigns of other Presidents, Macapagal‘s much ballyhooed graft and corruption drive floundered.

He even had more trouble in the Liberal Party National Convention in 1965. In 1961 during the Liberal Party National Convention, Macapagal promised Ferdinand Marcos that in 1965, he will not run for re-election if Marcos would withdraw his bid for the presidential nomination in the Convention.

Marcos withdrew his bid for the presidential nomination in view of the promise of Macapagal. The latter went on to win in the election.

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My Legal Point A serious Environmental Hazard produced BAYAN G. BALT

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nknown to many residents surrounding the lake is a serious environmental hazard that man could not imagine, because of its devastating and destructive effects. According to reliable scientific studies, the operation of the six (6) hydroelectric Power Plants (HEPP) produced floods, pollutions and diseases. As further explain by experts ―during rainy seasons, the National Power Corporation (NPC) closes the Agus 1 Dam built at the mouth of the Agus river while during dry seasons, they opened the Dams.” this practice has obstructed the free and natural flow of waters from lake Lanao to the Agus river, consequently during rainy seasons, low laying areas including farmlands, Mosques and communities submerged due to flood waters while during dry seasons, low laying areas lost irrigations waters, disappearance of fish and other species and breeding sanctuaries, causing unprecedented damages to the lake ecosystem down-

stream.

The Agus Dams built in the mouth of the Agus river is more dangerous to people‘s health. A report from studies of the World Commission on Dam (WCD) claims that large Dam produce methane, a poisonous colorless odorless substance which is a product of biological decomposition of organic matter, as said by expert, “Methane is produced at the bottom of the reservoirs, where oxygen is low and the bacteria decomposes organic materials, like trees and grasses, which is already present or carried by watercourse. Part of the methane becomes CO2 the rest is carried to the surface as bubbles. (International River reports, the Guardian).When this happened, people that inhaled the Methane acquired diseases including cancer, stomach ache, lung and heart problems. “Researchers found that rotting vegetation in the water means that the dams emit about a billion tons of greenhouse gases every

by the (HEPP) of lake Lanao

year. … When considered over a 100-year timescale, dams produce more methane than rice plantations and biomass burning”, the study showed, (The Guardian, Nov. 14, 2016).

The 57 Muslim countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), passed a Resolution recognizing the environmental hazards produced by the HEPP of lake Lanao, thus: ―Appeals to the Philippine government to see to the early resolution of the environmental problems resulting from the failure on the part of the power and electricity plants in Lake Lanao and its surroundings, to observe environmental standards, to avoid the pollution of the water and the spread of disease among citizens there‖. (RESOLUTION No. 2/34-MM ON QUESTION OF MUSLIMS IN SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES, The Thirtyfourth Session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers (Session of Peace, Progress and Harmony), held in Islamabad, Islamic Republic

of Pakistan from, 28 – 30 Rabiul Thani 1428H (15-17 May, 2007); Corollary, Allah (swt). ordained human being as keepers of all creations including waters, soil, air, animals and trees while environmental protection is an integral part of Islamic beliefs, the Quran says: “And We sent down water from the heaven in proper quantity, and we made Earth its dwelling, and We are Able to take it away.” (23:81). Further, Islam forbids the wastage of water and the preservation of water for the drinking of mankind, animal life, bird life and vegetation is a form of worship which gains the pleasure of Allah (swt.)

(Mufty Imam Tajuddin H. Alhilaly).

It is unfortunate that despite a staggering P45- B Pesos allegedly collected by the NPC as power revenues from the six (6) hydroelectric power plants operating in lake Lanao, these revenues are sent to Manila five hundred (500) miles from Lake Lanao while the Maranaos got only floods, pollution and diseases from

said power plants. More worst is the miserable incompetence of the BARMM (due respect to others) who are ignorant of the environmental sufferings of the Maranaos, they should have investigated this tragedy and pass a law in aid of legislation to mitigate or prevent this alleged ‗man made ENVIRONMENTAL GENOCIDE‘?

Postscript: to my previous column (Lake Lanao’s wealth, a bastion of BARMM’s opportunities ignored). Crystal clear BARMM has no jurisdiction over lake Lanao, as says the BOL: Section 22. Management of Inland Waters. – The Bangsamoro Government shall have exclusive powers over inland waters, including lakes, marshes, rivers, and tributaries within its territorial jurisdiction, except those that provide energy to power generating plants. xx xx.

Meaning that if the Inland waters provide energy to power generating plants, the Inland waters is outside of BALT | A10

World News

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

'Defend the truth and defeat the lies'

BY STEPHEN COLLINSON AND CAITLIN HU, CNN

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Biden sworn-in to office as Trump leaves for Florida

very act of Biden‘s first day in power repudiates the last four years — from an inaugural address that promised to ―defend the truth‖ and stressed healing over ―American carnage‖ to a blitz of executive orders.

After an interminable two-and-a-half month transition, the transfer of presidential power is brutal and swift. No sooner had Air Force One lifted off to carry Trump to his Elba on the Florida coast (to the final bars of Frank Sinatra‘s ―My Way‖) than Biden became POTUS, claimed the presidential "Beast" limousine and Oval Office, and got to work.

From his first moments in office, it was

clear that things were very different.

The 46th President paused in his inaugural address to pray for the more than 400,000 people in America who have been killed by Covid-19 -- a sign that the days of ignoring the coronavirus‘s threat were over. He went to Arlington National Cemetery with Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, reconvening the club of past presidents in a show of

respect for his office.

Installed behind the Resolute desk, Biden signed 17 executive orders that represent the start of an aggressive plan to unpick the Trump presidency. With a stroke of the pen, the US headed back into the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization, and rescinded a ban on travelers from mostly Muslim nations.

Biden wore a mask in the Oval Office and

mandated face coverings in all US federal buildings.

Of course, it‘s easy to reset the tone and sign executive orders.

To make real progress, he will have to pass legislation in a tightly divided Congress. And millions of Trump fans still wrongly think he stole the election. But to quote another one of Biden‘s favorite Irish poets one last time, Wednesday was about showing everything has ―changed, changed utterly.‖

Biden denounces ‘extremist’ Trumpsters in Capitol WASHINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden sternly denounced ‖extremist‖ Trump supporters that stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday, telling rioters to return home to ―allow the work of democracy to go forward.‖ The Capitol was overrun earlier in the day as lawmakers were set to convene a joint session of Congress that is traditionally a mundane affair of Electoral College vote counting.

Instead, chaotic scenes of thousands of rioters clashing with police outside of the federal legislature gave way to even more pandemonium as the mob overwhelmed law enforcement, breached the Capitol‘s doors and windows, and eventually made their way to the Senate floor.

Biden said the riot was ―an assault on the most sacred of American undertakings.‖ ―At this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault, unlike anything we‘ve seen in modern times; an assault on the citadel of liberty: the Capitol itself; an assault on the people‘s representa-

US Vice President Joe Biden. tives and the Capitol Hill police,‖ Biden said in nationally televised remarks in which he urged Trump to go on television to tell his supporters to leave the Capitol. ―Let me be very clear, the scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are. What we are seeing is a small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness.

This is not dissent. Its disorder. Its chaos. It borders on sedition, and it must end now,‖ he added.

Security was seen on photos posted to social media drawing pistols as rioters attempted to breach the House chamber where the voting counting was to take place.

At least one woman was shot amid the ongoing pandemonium, according to video footage

aired on television. It is unclear who fired the shot. She is in critical condition, per reports.

Multiple police officers have also been injured, according to reports.

The grim scenes are an unprecedented stain on the US‘s peaceful transfer of power.

Trump and his political allies have for months alleged that the election he lost to Biden by 7 million votes was rigged, stirring emotions among his supporters with conspiracy theories that have been repeatedly rejected in court.

The Justice Department also found no evidence to support his claims of widespread voter fraud.

Shortly after Biden went on national television, Trump posted a video message on Twitter, to maintain his false allegations while calling on his supporters ―to go

home now.‖ ―We have to have peace. We have to have law and order, and we have to respect our great people and law and order. We don‘t want anybody hurt,‖ said Trump.

Trump‘s tweet was quickly flagged by Twitter, with a warning label stating that ―This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet cannot be replied to, Retweeted, or liked due to a risk of violence.‖ The White House said the National Guard ―is on the way‖ to the scene ―along with other federal protective services‖ at Trump‘s direction.

Washington, D.C. residents received emergency phone calls Wednesday warning them that Mayor Muriel Bowser has enacted a citywide curfew beginning at 6 p.m. Anadolu Anadolu

For Reliable Information, Read Philippine Muslim Today

US President Joe Biden WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office Wednesday in a heavily-guarded but sparsely attended ceremony at the US Capitol.

Security for the ceremony was markedly increased with 25,000 National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. to secure the area after former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in an attempt to thwart a constitutionally-mandated procedure before Biden assumed office.

"This is America's day. This is democracy's day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve," Biden said shortly after he took the oath of office. "Through a crucible for the ages America has been tested anew, and America has risen to the challenge. Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy."

Five people died in the insurrection, including a Capitol Police officer. The other deaths were of Trump supporters, one of whom was shot by security.

"The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile," Biden said. "At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed. On this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundation we've come together as one nation under God, indivisible to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries."

Trump departed the White House earlier Wednesday for the state of Florida, opting to break with a tradition that embodies the US's peaceful transfer of power by not participating in the inaugural events.

Normally, the outgoing and incoming presidents ride to the Capitol building together to participate in the inauguration ceremony. The tradition has been in place "with few exceptions" since 1837, according to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Hundreds of thousands of people usually attend the ceremony every four years, but this year the general public was asked to celebrate at home as the US continues to find itself in the throes of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the country.

Biden vowed to face the health crisis head-on, saying the "once in a century virus" is "stalking" the US, and has claimed as many American lives as were lost in World War II. The president will be confronting the virus' grim realities as the country has been deeply fractured during the past four years, and even the donning of protective face coverings has become a highly politicized issue.

In urging Americans to unite, Biden noted the rising threats posed by "political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism," saying they must be confronted and defeated.

"To overcome these challenges, to restore the soul, and secure the future of America requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy: unity," he said.

"We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal." Xinhua

News

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Abdul Hannan Magarang Tago

―The accrued interest under Bayanihan Acts one (1) and two (2), we would like to clarify that under both laws, the expectation is for the financial institutions to fully disclose and explain to their clients the procedures and implementation of said Laws,‖ said a reply from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Consumer Protection and Market Conduct Office Strategic Communication and Advocacy.

In December last year I wrote an article ―Some banks make big business in the name of Bayanihan 1 and 2‖ and the same concern was

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

Bangko Sentral: Accrued interest under Bayanihan should be disclosed

emailed to BSP. Some banks did not disclose to their clients the amount that they are going to charge once a borrower availed for the Bayanihan ranging from 14,000 to 15,000 Pesos for 30-day grace period that caused financial burden for many instead of helping them.

PSB added, ―Such disclosure and transparency will allow clients to arrive at informed financial decisions on whether to avail or not the mandatory grace period.‖ ―Borrowers are encouraged to also communicate with their banks regarding the implementation of said Acts and/or negotiate with their

bank for a more affordable payment arrangement on their loan account‖ PSB clarified.

The BSP letter expressed its gratitude for bringing the matter to their attention. ―Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is one with our government in assisting the Filipino people in these trying times, as we manage the impact of the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic to our economy‖ observed Explaining further the letter said ―We inform that Republic Act No. 11469, otherwise known as the Bayanihan to Heal as

One Act or Bayanihan Act 1 (for brevity), enacted on 24 March 2020 due to the Covid -19 pandemic, granted authority to the President to, among others, direct lending institutions to implement a minimum of a thirty (30) day grace period for the payment of types of loans, as well as ensure the availability of credit to the productive sectors of the economy.

To implement the foregoing provision, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Section 4(aa) of RA No. 11469 issued by the Department of Finance on 02 April 2020 provides that, all covered institutions shall implement a mandatory 30-day grace period for all

loans, with principal and/or interest falling due within the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) Period without incurring interest on interest, penalties, fees and other charges (emphasis supplied).

For accrued interest in March, April and May 2020, the borrower may pay it in lumpsum on the next due date or on a staggered basis over the remaining term of the loan.

For additional information on the Bayanihan Act 1, we refer you to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) I, II, III and IV issued by the BSP and the Bayanihan Act and its Implementing Rules and Regulations issued by the Department of Finance.

AHMT

people‘s movements and diverted state resources to contain the virus, he added.

For his part, Minister Sinarimbo pointed out that ―the only way to achieve the (MILF -government) agreement‘s dream for well-founded governance to bring about stable peace and progressive Bangsamoro is to give an ample time by postponing the 2022 elections.‖ In a podcast with a Manila media network, Sinarimbo clarified that the desired poll postponement covers only the election of regular members in the BARMM parliament, not the elective posts for congress members, provincial, municipal and city officials in the autonomous region.

Parliament arguments On Jan. 19, the second day of r celebration, BTA Parliament Speaker Pangalian

Balindong and his memberlawyers Jose Lorena, Omar Yasser Sema and Lanang Ali Jr. took turns at a press briefing here in justifying the passage on Nov. 17, 2020 of a resolution urging Congress to postpone the 2020 regional polls and extend the transition reign of interim parliament members appointed by President Duterte.

Speaker Balindong, a former congressman for 12 years, said the BOL or R.A. 11054 provides for the grant of at least 58 autonomous powers to the BARMM governance that are necessitating the passage of regional codes on electoral process, revenue, civil service, local government, administrative structure and education system in the region.

Because of the onslaught of Coronavirus pandemic, the state-regulated physical

movements of people and diverted thrusts to combat the pandemic have stunted parliament members in drafting and deliberating the enabling bills of the major codes, Balindong said, citing the recent passage of just the administrative code.

Member-lawyers Lorena and Sema, both representing the MNLF, said they have also been facing the taxing process in legislating measures that will build not only parliamentary governance but a moral administration in BARMM. Reacting to critics‘ notion that the extension move will ―personally benefit‖ the BTA interim members, Lorena urged Congress to incorporate in the pending enabling bills a provision authorizing the President or Chief Minister Ebrahim to revamp the parliament and appoint new transitional members. AGM

3-YEAR | from Page A3

3-year transition ‗is too short‘... press conference and explained in clearer details the reasons and nature of the campaign for BTA transition extension. ‖The extension (move) is not about power. It is not about trying to extend our presence (in the BARMM governance), but is aimed at ensuring that peace shall be well -established on the ground (during the interim regime),‖ said Iqbal, a co-chair of IGRB. The IGRB facilitates the full devolution of national line agencies‘ assets and powers to BARMM. Iqbal hinted that postponing polls and extending office terms of autonomous region‘s officials are not unprecedented, citing the past congressional extension of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders‘ reign in the defunct

ARMM from three to 10 years.

The MNLF forged a final peace deal with the government in 1996, prompting the resetting of 1996 polls to give way to the election front founding Chair Nur Misuari as regional governor followed by MNLF‘s ―council of 15‖ head Parouk Hussein in another election.

In the current situation, Iqbal said, the MILF-led interim BARMM government has actually been operational for barely a year because while it was established on March 29, 2019, it merely pursued the unfinished projects and thrusts of the defunct ARMM. In 2020, the BARMM operations were stunted by the adverse effects of Coronavirus outbreak that required limited

BALT | from Page A8

A serious Environmental Hazard produced by the (HEPP) of lake Lanao BARMM‘s jurisdiction. Lake Lanao feeds the water resources of the Six HEPP of the NPC that generates electricty.

Some misconstrued the second par. Of sec 22 which provides: ―If any inland water is a source of energy for areas outside of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, the principle of co-management of fossil fuels under Section 10 of this Article and Section 34 of Article XII of this Organic Law shall apply‖.

Section 10. Exploration, Development, and Utilization of Fossil Fuels and Uranium. – Subject to the provisions of the Constitution and national laws, the Bangsamoro Government and the National Government shall jointly exercise the power to grant rights, privileges, and concessions over

the exploration, development, and utilization of uranium and fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal in the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro.

The use of the renewable energy shall be promoted for power generation to achieve the sustainable development goals and promote low carbon energy generation policies as provided in Section 2 of this Article Section 34. Sharing in Exploration, Development and Utilization of Natural Resources. – Government revenues generated from the exploration, development, and utilization of all natural resources in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, including mines and minerals, shall per-

tain fully to the Bangsamoro Government. In the case of uranium and fossil fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal, the same may be co -managed and the revenues shared equally between the National Government and Bangsamoro Government, subject to the limitations provided in the Constitution.

Sec. 10 above does not speak of lake Lanao, it merely refers to the joint exercise to grant of rights, privileges and concessions xx xx over exploration, development and utilization of uranium and fossils fuel like petroleum, natural gas and coal. These minerals are extracted from the earth crust while lake Lanao is a mineral that produced energy thru hydro or waters

that propel the turbine of the power plants. Likewise, Sec. 34 refers to co-management to future exploration, development and utilization of minerals like uranium and fossils fuels such as petroleum, natural gas and coal, it excluded co-management of existing minerals produced by hydro (water) plants. It is a general provision on power sharing between BARMM and the National Government hence cannot prevail against a specific provision of Inland waters provided by Sec.22.

For those giving false hopes to our people with big lies, U.S. President Joe Biden has this to say: ―xx xx Recent weeks and months have taught us painful lesson. There is truth and there

are lies, lies told for power and for profit, and each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders, leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation, to defend the truth and defeat the lies‖. (Pres. Biden Inaugural speech, Jan. 20, 2021).

————————— For comments: Email me at bayanbalt@yahoo.com Atty. Bayan G. Balt is former Chapter President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP-Marawi City and Lanao del Sur, 2013-2015), Chairman of the Ranao Federal State Movement, (RFSM) and Pres. Of the Alliance of Regional Coalitions Against People’s Poverty (ARCAPP).

Tourism

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

Team Mussah: A Trailblazers in TawiTawi’s Media Productions

Beef Rendang, another Maranao specialty "Bangsamoro Halal Dish"

By JOHNNY R. LEE, Ph.D

W

hat started as a bunch of rag-tag photo hobbyists, the Mussah Productions is now a fullblown media entity that is now the toss of the town in terms of photo and video productions for various occasions like birthdays, graduation, weddings and festival events.

Mussah, which means pearl or gem in local dialect, was initiated by two young men named Ali Mouktar Mohammad Tilka and Bhas Abdulsamad both homegrown TawiTawians. They started from scratch with only their personal low-end DSLR Nikon cameras and lowly desktop computer as tools. The former is a Computer student drop-out and the latter is just a fresh graduate of B.S. Statistics from MSU TawiTawi.

Capitalizing on the scarcity of media producers (photos & videos) in the locality, the tandem of Moh. Tilka and Abdulsamad thought it wise that they could at least earn to support their daily subsistence as both of them were unemployed and had no steady source of income. The partnership had to rely and explore the internet and other platforms like YouTube and other sources to hone their skills in media production.

It was a long and tedious process yet rewarding when finally they mastered the art of photography and video making by using applications like Photoshop, Lightroom, and other Adobe products available.

From a mere pair of digital cameras, they started catching attention by posting their photos and videos prod-

ucts on Facebook. A number of clients started to come and hire their services to cover small weddings and birthdays celebrations.

The big break came

some amounts or savings with the intention of acquiring high-end gadgets and paraphernalias to enhance the quality of their craft.

At this juncture, the

‗talents‘ extended to film or cinema making. In 2018, their entry, ‗Manis Ma Pikilan‘ (Beautiful Thoughts), to the First Moro Short Film Festival held and screened at

Team Mussah’s Shortfilm entry ‘Manis Ma Pikilan’ won four major awards during 2018 The Moro Film Festival at Cotabato City. (JRL) when they were commissioned to cover the biggest provincial festival called ‗Kamahardikaan TawiTawi‘ (2016 Tawi-Tawi Anniversary). Out of their modest earnings from services they rendered, they segregated

Mussah Productions who now call themselves Team Mussah began to recruit and train young boys and girls to augment the much needed manpower and assistants that could handle the multiple equipment required of a media production. In their ‗shooting arsenal‘ could be found a camera drone, modern high -end digital cameras, recording system, gimbals, powerful editing computer system, and zoom lenses – both micros and macros.

Their capacity as media outfit and

Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City bagged the four major awards ( Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Editing).

Just recently they inaugurated their modest Production Studio and has partnered with Halcy‘s Wedding Events Planner outfit which is owned by a young and talented decor artist named Halun Mussamad. The partnership according to keen observers is said to be a ‗perfect combination‘ as far as the visual arts is concerned.

JOHNNY R. LEE

A11

WITH MARIA FHEBIE ORTIL

R

ight here in the BARMM-Cooked Halal Dishes our topic for this week or the 32nd Issue is about the Beef Rendang Maranao version.

Beef Rendang is becoming a popular Maranao dish. This is available in many of the Maranao restaurants especially in the downtown Quiapo in Manila.

However, culinary sources said Beef Rendang originated from Indonesia. However it has reached its way to the Philippines and the Maranao culinary enthusiasts have put up their own version the ―Maranao version of Beef Rendang.‖ The cooking of Beef Rendang is not that complicated.

Let me explain the easy way to follow the procedures.

Ingredients: 1) 1 kilo of beef 2) Palapa 3) Fresh turmeric 4) Lemongrass 5) Chili pounded lightly 6) Sugar 7) Coconut milk 8) Tamarind juice Procedure: 1) For the marinade, use a good cut of beef.

2) Add a mixture of spices (palapa, fresh turmeric, lemongrass, powdered chili) and uncooked white rice that has been toasted and grounded.Note: The toasted and grounded rice helps to make the beef tender.

3) The toasted and grounded coconut meat is needed to add more coconut flavor. Toasting the coconut might take 10-20 minutes depending on the heat.

4) After this procedure, heat the coconut oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste and cinnamon.

5) Next add the beef and you have already added earlier the lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.

6) Finally add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is cooked.

7) Hence, stir in sugar, coconut milk, cinnamon, and water.

8) Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until most of the liquid has gone and the meat is tender for about 1 hour.

9) Season with salt to taste.

Maria Fhebie Ortil

Serving 3-5 persons

Maranao Version of Beef Rendang.

News

A12

Vol. I, No. 32 | January 22-28, 2021 (Jumad ‘ul Akhir 9-15, 1442)

JANNARAL| from Page A7

What to do if one GOT Coronavirus?

13. For symptom management and a fever over 38°c take Paracetamol rather than Ibuprofen 14. Rest lots You should not be leaving your house! Even if you are feeling better you may will still be infectious for fourteen days and older people and those with existing health conditions should be avoided!

15. Wear gloves and a mask to avoid contaminating others in your house.

16. Isolate in your bedroom if not living alone, ask friends and family to leave supplies outside to avoid contact.

17. Sanitize your bed linen

and clothes frequently by washing and clean your bathroom with recommended sanitizers.

18. You DO NOT NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL unless you are having trouble breathing or your fever is very high (over 39°C) and unmanaged with meds.

19. 90% of healthy adult cases thus far have been managed at home with basic rest/ hydration/over-thecounter meds.

20. Pre-existing risks. If you have a preexisting lung condition (COPD, emphysema, lung cancer) or

are on immunosuppressants, now is a great time to talk to your Doctor or specialist about what they would like you to do if you get sick.

21. Children. One major relief to you parents is that kids do VERY well with coronavirus, they usually bounce back in a few days (but they will still be infectious). Just use pediatric dosing .

22. Be calm and prepare rationally and everything will be fine. This is to inform us all that the pH for corona virus varies from 5.5 to 8.5.

23. All we need to do, to beat corona virus, we need to take more of

ADAZA | from Page A8

Lessons from Philippine Presidents...

Macapagal whose biography is titled MACAPAGAL THE INCORRUPTIBLE was defeated by Marcos in the 1965 elections on the issue that he was not that incorruptible after all.

President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos: Among Philippine Presidents from Diosdado Macapagal to Rodrigo Roa Duterrte, the best President of our country is indisputably President Marcos based on the following parameters – brilliance, vision, programs and goals, accomplishments, commitment to country and the people, reorientation and re-education of the Filipino.

I was a strategic and strong critic and opponent of Marcos but he never stopped trying to conscript me to his camp – offering me the position of Court of First Instance (now the Regional Trial Court) Judge in Manila after the 1965 presidential elections, asking me to run in the 1978 elections under the banner of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), the political umbrella of Marcos composed of the Liberal and Nacionalista parties and others, with the assurance I would top the elections beating former Vice-President Emmanuel ―Maning‖ Pelaez in the region. Of course, I said, ―No‖.

Towards the end of his term he enticed me to join him in the most complimentary terms, saying, ―You know Pañero, you should join me for several reasons. We both graduated from the UP College of Law. We dream dreams for our people. You are an ideologue and so am I.‖ And after a short pause, he continued, ―And on top of that, we are two of a kind.‖ He hit the bull by the horns except there are major differences between us in style, choice of options for the country, character and integri-

ty. So as usual, my rejection of the offer was immediate and final.

Why do I relate these incidents? They reveal a lot about Marcos – as a man and as a leader.

Vision: The plans show vision and brilliance – that he had dreams for our people, he had ideological moorings, he imbibed the tradition of excellence and the aristocracy of the mind characteristic of the UP education during his time and mine though a generation separates us, and the expertise of a Sun Tzu warrior exemplified by the number one rule of warfare, knowing yourself and your enemy; a hundred battles, a hundred victories.

As proof of brilliance and the aristocracy of the mind, possibly in whole history of the presidency, Marcos assembled the best and the brightest in his Cabinet.

Like President Garcia‘s Filipino First Policy which is the main pillar of his presidency, Marcos had a more encompassing vision framed in his New Society, obviously with roots in the many visions of American Presidents – Woodrow Wilson‘s New Freedom, Franklin Delano Roosevelt‘s New Deal, Harry Truman‘s Fair Deal, John Fitgerald Kennedy‘s New Frontier, and Lyndon Baines Johnson‘s Great Society.

Nationalism: New Society has a very nationalistic strain.

It tried to replicate the Meiji era in our country – creating big enterprises and putting them into the hands of Filipinos. Marcos placed the coconut industry in the hands of Eduardo ―Danding‖ Cojuangco with the creation of United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) and UNICOM and created COCOFED, a confederation of coconut farmers placed in the hands of Zambo-

angueña coconut magnate and politician, Maria Clara ―Caling‖ Lobregat.

The banana industry was handled by Antonio ―Tony‖ Florendo. The man created a huge banana plantation using prison labor from the Davao Penal Colony (DAPECOL).

The sugar industry was controlled by Marcos‘ college buddy, Negrense Roberto ―Bobby‖ Benedicto.

Telecommunications remained with the Jose Cojuangco, Sr., of PLDT, though there were continuing rumors that majority of the stocks were already bought by the Marcoses.

Media was in the hands of the friends of Marcos – Benedicto, Duavit and Lopez, other than the government television stations. Marcos had complete control of media. In the words of First Lady Imelda Romualdez in her trying to persuade me to leave for the United States before the snap election in 1986 on the excuse that I was sick, ‖You know Homobono, we are in complete control of media so we can make the people believe that your sick.‖ In rejecting her request, I replied, ―Ma‘am that may be true but the problem is – you cannot convince me that I am sick.‖ For poor guys like me, there are some things in life that are priceless like – honor, character, integrity and love of country.

Marcos tried to re-orient and educate the Filipino. Seminars were conducted on the national and regional levels reechoed down to the province, city, town and barangay levels. The seminars were highlighted by the burning of the monster representing the evils and sins of the past to the cadence of the singing of Mabuhay Ang Filipino. It is a journey of renewal.

Infrastructure: Marcos designed an all encompassing

an alkaline foods that are above the above pH level of the Virus.

Some of which are: 24. Lemon – 9.9pH Lime8.2pH Avocado – 15.6pH Garlic – 13.2pH – Mango – 8.7pH Tangerine8.5pH Pineapple12.7pH Dandelion – 22.7pH Orange – 9.2pH 25. How do you know you have coronavirus?

1. Itching in the throat 2.

Dry throat 3.

Dry cough 4. High temperature 5. Shortness of breath 6. Loss of sense of taste & smell 7. Covid toes – toes 26. So when you notice these things quickly take warm water with

lemon and drink.

Finally, when do you get the 2nd Covid shot?

You should get your 2nd shot: for the Pfizer-BioNTech 3 weeks (or 21 days) after your first shot; for the Moderna 1 month (or 28 days) after your first shot.

Now, we hope to give you the time frame in the next issue as to when a person should get the 2nd Covid shot in the case of Sinovac and Sinopharm.

After reading the Batanes To Tawi-Tawi, please do not keep this information to yourself only. Pass it to all your family and friends.

For your comments/ suggestions, please send your email to munir1845media@gmail. com

infrastructure program similar to the twenty-five years to fifty years plans in the initial stages of the Soviet Union. He built dams, highways, bridges, farm to market roads, piers, airports, improved the railways in Luzon and planned for a railway system in Mindanao.

Other Presidents just followed the Marcos plans until today.

Export zones and steel: President Marcos created export processing zones in many parts of the country under a new entity, the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA). Prominent among them are those in Olongapo City and in Villanueva and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental operated and managed by the Philippine Veterans Industrial Development Corporation (PHIVEDIC).

He also laid the basis for a steel industrial with the Iligan Steel Mills of the Jacintos and the locating of the Philippine Sinter Corporation at PHIVIDEC which is a spin off of Kobe Steel Corporation of Japan. Sinter is the basic component for the production of steel.

People‘s programs: Concerned with the need of people to be supplied with staple food, Department of Agriculture under Secretary Bong Tanco initiated the Masagana 99 program for growing of rice and corn. For the first time in the history of the country, it became an export country for rice and corn. It also encouraged the growing of vegetables in everyone‘s backyard labeled as the Green Revolution. It promoted throughout the country an irrigation program resulting to expanded agricultural development.

It organized a back to the barangay program to decongest the cities and develope many areas in the countryside. It established stores which offered basic commodities with controlled and subsi-

dized prices known as Kadiwa stores.

Health Facilities and Cultural projects: Marcos put up some of the best hospitals in the country – Heart Center, Kidney Center, Lung Center and Children‘s Hospital. Regional, provincial and city hospitals were also improved.

Marcos also built centers for development of culture and the arts – Cultural Center of the Philippines, Film Center, Folk Arts Theatre, a center for studies and development of arts and letters in Mt. Makiling and the Philippine International Convention Center.

Political initiatives: Marcos amended the Constitution through a Constitutional Convention of elected delegates from the various congressional districts. In the amendments, Marcos changed the political system from a presidential to a French type parliamentary system.

He also initiated the beginnings of a federal system by creating thirteen regions in the country by way of dispersing government powers to the regions instead of concentrating everything in Manila.

He also created a Center for Strategic Studies based at the University of the Philippines, Diliman campus. In an effort to reorient and reeducate the bureaucracy, Marcos established the Development Academy of the Philippines under the control and supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Marcos also helped organize the South East Asia Treaty Organization to cement relations of the Philippines with neighboring countries in our region and have a defense umbrella for the Philippines and our neighbors.

We stop at this point on President Marcos. There is more to say and write about him in the third part of this series, remembering this line – ―in the plains of hesitation bleached the bones of countless millions. HAA