DOLE-ARMM offers summer jobs to students, OSYs

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, February 27 (PIA) –  The Department of Labor and Employment in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOLE-ARMM) is offering summer jobs to more than 2,000 students and out-of-school youth (OSY) across the region this year.

The employment drive is part of the DOLE's Special Program for Employment of Student (SPES), a flagship program designed to provide income opportunity to out-of-school youth and students from underprivileged families during summer or Christmas break.

The program is open to all qualified high school, college or vocational students, out-of-school youth, aged between 15 to 25, with priority given to the poor and disadvantaged students who need assistance to pursue their education.

The registration for this year will start on March 1 and will end on March 23, and the summer job will run from April 11 until May 11.

"The program is an earn-and-learn program to develop productive work ethics in the youth. It seeks to help poor but deserving students and out-of-school youth pursue their education by providing them a job opportunity every summer," Norma Lidasan, DOLE-ARMM’s supervising labor and employment officer said.

The DOLE-ARMM has earmarked P6.3 million for the SPES this year, which would cover the salaries and other benefits of the working students or drop-outs.

Student applicants are required to submit the following: birth certificate, barangay clearance, certification by the school registrar or form 138 or original class card, certificate of good moral character and parents’ income tax return, which should not exceed the P85,000 annual income.

For out-of-school-youth applicants, a certificate of good moral character issued by their respective barangay will be required.

The SPES beneficiaries are entitled to receive a daily minimum wage of P255 for those in the agriculture sector and P265.00 for those in non-agriculture sector.  Forty percent of their salaries will come from the DOLE-ARMM and the remaining 60 percent will be shouldered by the employing office or establishment.

The DOLE-ARMM has collaborated with government offices including local government units and number business establishments to provide summer employment to the youth.

Lidasan said they have allotted a slot of 450 beneficiaries in each province in the region and an additional 293 slots has been reserved for walk-in applicants at the DOLE-ARMM’s regional office in Cotabato City.

"We will assure that students in remote villages will be given an opportunity to avail of the program," she added.

In 2015, the DOLE-ARMM has given income-earning opportunity to 2,543 student-SPES beneficiaries. (BPI/APB/PIA-10)

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Kariyala Festival highlights 55th Araw ng Wao

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, February 25 (PIA) --- A cultural fest dubbed Kariyala Festival highlighted the 55th founding anniversary of the municipality of Wao, the corn granary of the province.

With vast agricultural lands suitable for any type of crops, Wao’s Kariyala Festival is structured as a thanksgiving for bountiful harvest

                                   
It is also a celebration of the distinctive cultures and heritage of the various ethnic tribes residing in the area such as Maranao, Ilonggo, Higaonon, Igorot, Cebuano, Kapampangan, Tausug, and Matigsalog.

This is our way of showing that the different tribes here in Wao are united, thus the acronym We Are One (WAO), said town mayor Elvino Balicao Jr during the anniversary program held Sunday, February 21, at the town plaza.

A civic parade brimming with lively colors and creative rhythms kicked-off the anniversary celebration. Drums and gongs were sounded as government officials and employees, students, barangay officials, senior citizens, interfaith organizations, and private organizations marched to the town plaza to join the thanksgiving and anniversary program.

The program was graced by Provincial Governor Mamintal A. Adiong Jr. and officials from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) led by Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman who reiterated the government’s commitment to back-up Wao’s development efforts.

Ecotourism and socio-cultural activities such as agro/trade fair, Kalilang Show, Search for Mutya ng Wao, Kariyala Night, and fireworks display also marked the weeklong celebration.

The most anticipated event took center stage on February 22: the Kariyala Street Dancing and Show Down.

It focused on the cultures and rituals of the various tribes residing in Wao and centered on the theme “Sayaw Pasasalamat Sa Biyayang Ani at Kapayapaan.”

Performers from four elementary schools and five secondary schools participated in the street dancing and show down. They showcased unique dance routines, vibrant costumes and colorful props that wowed locals and tourists alike.

The Kilikili Central Elementary School contingent won first place for the elementary level. It also bested other contingents in special awards like Best in Costume, Best in Concept, Best in Props, Best in Musicality, Best Dancers, Most Disciplined, and Best in Kariyala Steps awards.

Performers from the Masiricampo Abantas Memorial High School (MAMHS) topped the secondary level. They also won the Best in Concept, Best in Performance, and Best in Costume awards.

Kilikili Central Elementary School represented Tribong Kapampangan, while MAMHS represented Tribong Maranao. (APB/PIA-10)

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ARMM student-athletes prepare for 2016 Palarong Pambansa

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, February 27 (PIA) – Datu Salih Khazain Rayhan and some 500 student-athletes from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will undergo intense training to prepare for this year’s national athletic meet scheduled in Legazpi City, Albay in April.

Datu Salih, a Grade 7 student from Camp Siongco National High School, bagged gold medal in the individual category of taekwondo-poomsae during the 2016 Palarong ARMM Athletic Meet held in Parang, Maguindanao.

In last year’s Palarong Pambansa, Datu Salih went toe-to-toe against his opponents from the Cordillera Administrative Region and Central Mindanao (Region XII) winning his first Palarong Pambansa gold medal in taekwondo in the individual category.

He and his two other team mates won the silver medal in the team category. He was then an elementary pupil at Camp Siongco Elementary School.

The young athlete from Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao is packed with confidence in winning this year’s national competition. He said he will endure more serious trainings to get his second Palarong Pambansa gold medal.

“Determinado po talaga ako ngayon. Gagalingan ko para manalo ulit (I am very determined now. I will give my best to win again),” he said. Datu Salih has been a taekwondo athlete for more than three years now.

After days of sports competitions among student-athletes in the region, the ARMM-wide meet wrapped up on February 24 with the divisions of Maguindanao II and Maguindanao I emerging as over-all champions in elementary and secondary school levels, respectively.

Maguindanao II, the elementary level champion, garnered 26 gold medals, and was followed by Maguindanao I with 20 gold medals and Tawi-Tawi with 12 gold medals. In the secondary level, Maguindanao I earned 43 gold medals, followed by Maguindanao II with 28 gold medals and Lamitan City with 21 gold medals.

More than 5,000 promising athletes competed against each other in sports like basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, table tennis, sepak takraw, athletics, boxing, wushu, arnis, wrestling, taekwondo, swimming and archery. The meet harnessed the theme ‘One Team, One Dream for the Bangsamoro People.’

In the 2015 Palarong Pambansa, the region finished 14th place – two notches higher from its rank in the annual games in 2014. The ARMM delegates bagged a total of 10 medals in the regular sports and three medals in the demonstration games.

The region’s taekwondo team grabbed two gold medals, two silvers and five bronzes while the athletics team bagged another gold medal. In the demonstration games, the wushu team grabbed one silver and one bronze while the region’s beach volleyball team took home the gold medal.

The region’s Department of Education and the Regional Sports Coordinating Office are collaborating to prepare the athletes for this year’s national meet. In-house trainings will be held in Legazpi City several days before the Palarong Pambansa.

The ARMM government provides the athletes’ basic needs like food, transportation, vitamins and uniforms among others. Allowance will also be given to the athletes. (BPI/PIA-10)

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PH's oldest mosque to receive P77.6 million for tourism infra support

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Feb. 24 (PIA) ---  The country’s oldest mosque located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will receive tourism support funding worth P77.6 million.

Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, secretary of the region’s Public Works and Highways (DPWH-ARMM), said the access road going to the Sheikh Karim-ul Makhdum Mosque will be improved even as several other infrastructure projects will be built within its periphery.

“We are investing on the roads leading to Sheikh Makdum as well as in its periphery because we believe in the tourism potential of southern Mindanao,” Sec. Loong said.

The Sheikh Makhdum Mosque was erected in 1380 in the small fishing village of Tubig (Bohe), Indangan in Simunul town in Tawi-Tawi province. The mosque was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission and a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum.

The infrastructure projects will be built by the local government unit of Simunul after a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed on Monday, February 22, at the ARMM governor's office in Cotabato City.

Sec. Loong said the project is targeted to be completed from three to six months.

DPWH-ARMM is providing more assistance to the tourism industry with the construction of access roads to tourism sites in the region.

In September 2015, it started the construction of projects and development of Bud Bongao, Tawi-Tawi's famous peak, worth P56 million. The projects include multi-purpose hall, view deck, station point, concrete pathway, parking area, and billboard.

Another P100 million was allotted for the improvement of the Lake Dapao Circumferential Road in Lanao del Sur. Five other MoAs for the construction of access roads and water systems worth P66.93 million were also inked between the ARMM government and three local government units (LGUs) in Lanao del Sur.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the infrastructure projects are a manifestation of trust and confidence of the regional government on the LGUs.

“The basic requirement is the capacity of the LGUs to implement projects – their sufficiency of construction equipment, and availability of skilled and well-experienced engineers,” Gov. Hataman said.

Several MoAs were inked between the ARMM government and more than 20 LGUs in the region covering infrastructure worth more than P1.9 billion on February 16, 2016.

“Gusto nating palakasin yung capacity ng local government units. In fact, ito yung pinaka outcome na gusto natin (We want to strengthen the capacity of local government units. In fact, it is the ultimate outcome we want),” Gov. Hataman added. (BPI/APB/PIA-10)

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DOH-ARMM alerts residents on common summer ailments

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Feb. 24 (PIA) -- As the dry season continues, the Department of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) is alerting residents on common ailments and adverse health conditions they might suffer from in the near term.

                        
Dr. Alexander Ampatuan, designated head of the Non-Communicable Diseases Cluster of DOH-ARMM, said during dry months, residents must take note of common summer diseases like sunburn, rashes, sore eyes, and chicken pox..

Sunburn is a term used for red and sometimes swollen and painful skin caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. To prevent sunburn, he advised residents to avoid too much sun exposure.

“Iwasan natin ang lumabas sa bahay kung tirik ang araw. Mas mainam kung huwag lumabas mula 9:00 AM hanggang 4:00 PM (Avoid going outside the house especially when it is too hot. It would be better to stay at home from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM),” Ampatuan said. “Kung hindi maiiwasan, magsuot ng mga protective gear tulad ng payong o magpahid ng sunblock na may SPF 60 pataas (If you cannot avoid going under the heat of the sun, wear protective gears like an umbrella or use sunblock with at least SPF 60 or higher),” he added.

Ampatuan said residents should also observe proper hygiene. “Ugaliing maligo araw-araw at magpunas ng pawis. Gumamit ng powder upang maiwasan ang pagkakaroon ng rashes (Take a bath every day, always wipe and dry your sweat and use powder to prevent rashes),” he said. Rashes are abnormal changes in skin color, or texture, caused by skin inflammation.

Because of climate change, he said residents in ARMM should be more cautious as these diseases could develop into serious cases.

Moreover, he warned people, especially those with hypertension, of possible heat stroke. He advised them to drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration.

The DOH-ARMM, he said, has various projects to help residents suffering from these common diseases. He encouraged them to go to the nearest Regional Health Units, or to the DOH-ARMM office, for free check-ups and medicines.

“Kung may nararamdaman, huwag mag-atubili na pumunta at magpatingin sa mga malapit ng Rural Health Center para mabigyan ng lunas at maiwasan ang komplikasyon. Ang pagtulong sa mga nangangailangan ay mandato ng ating ahensya, (If they are suffering from the diseases mentioned, I encourage them to go to the Regional Health Centers nearest their localities for immediate cure and to avoid further complications. Helping the marginalized is part of the mandate of DOH-ARMM),” Ampatuan said. (BPI/APB/PIA-10)

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