Marawi youths raise fund for war victims in Aleppo

More than a thousand Muslim youths coming from the cities of Marawi City, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro joined in the Aleppo fund-raising and awareness campaign activity held in Dimaporo Gymnasium in Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi Campus on December 18.

The fund-raising activity was sparked by one single chat via Facebook last week after tweets from Aleppo trended in social media that civilians trapped in the eastern part of the Syrian city were indiscriminately murdered by the Assad regime, said organizer Mohammad Aiman Langlang.

The youths collected cash donations and held garage sale. Similar activities were held in Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga.

Youth leader Mohammad Jamal Batugan said that the proceeds will go to One Solid Ummah which is a non-profit organization that gives humanitarian aid to Syrian war victims and refugees. One solid Umma neither supports the rebels nor the Assad regime, he said.

The organizers have already collected P46,000 in cash from Marawi and P60,000 from Davao city.

The gathering also featured discussions from Sheik Abu Annas Angni on the conflict in Syria and Dr. Hamid Barra, who provided an in-depth analysis on the situation and how it affects the world at large.

The gathering concluded with a prayer for the safety and well-being of the civilians in Aleppo.​ (Sittie Ayeesha Dicali/PIA Lanao del Sur)

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DENR axes illegal logging in Lanao del Sur

At least P1.4 million worth of illegal logs were confiscated and turned over to the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Group of Lanao del Sur, Saturday, December 17.

Approximately 28,730 board feet of premium assorted logs were seized as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DENR-ARMM) closed three illegally operating sawmills from three barangays in Maguing town, this province.

DENR-ARMM Secretary Forester Kahal Kedtag said the operation was immediately conducted by the department after proving through a series of investigations that illegal cutting of trees has been happening in the watershed area.

Massive cutting of trees in the ARMM, Kedtag said, is strictly prohibited in pursuant to the Regional Governor's Executive Order No. 1 series of 2012 or the Total Logging Ban.

Out of the three sawmills closed, only two immediately qualified for illegal logging. As for the one sawmill, "We could not yet classify this as illegal logging kasi as we can see parang clearing lang ang ginagawa nila," Kedtag said.

"They are converting the forest land into agricultural land, but still it is prohibited since this is a watershed area", he added.

The owners of the seized sawmills are given a two-week grace period to answer before an adjudication about their operation.

Kedtag said if the operations are proven indeed illegal, the seized logs will be used for government projects such as arm chairs for public schools. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM okays P10.1B worth of infra projects in 2017

A total of P10.1 billion worth of infrastructure projects are expected to be implemented in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in 2017. 

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and regional legislators signed Public Works Act of 2017 on December 15, authorizing the appropriation of P10.1 billion for infrastructure projects in ARMM.

The region’s Public Works and Highways department (DPWH-ARMM), through its district engineering offices, will implement the approved projects.

These cover construction of major roads and bridges, water supply, seaports, shores, drainage canal, flood control, strategic infrastructure projects in support of tourism, agriculture, peace and security, public health or sanitation, and other socio-economic development activities and those in conflict- or calamity-affected areas.

 The appropriation will be effective even beyond Fiscal Year 2017 until fully released, obligated, and disbursed for the purpose. The infrastructure funds will be properly distributed to the five provinces and two cities in the region.

 “We will make sure that all the provinces will receive development projects from the regional government,” Gov. Hataman said.

DPWH-ARMM Secretary Engr. Don Mustapha Loong noted that the implementation of the projects will be undertaken through competitive public bidding.

 To effectively oversee the projects, the Regional Project Monitoring Committee, inclusive of the legislative assembly members or representatives, will conduct periodic checking and validation of the status of project implementation based on the approved program of work, project specifications, and time frame of completion. (BPI/PIA-10)

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875 individuals, IDPs benefit from Lumbatan LGU medical, dental mission

Over 800 individuals benefited from the medical and dental mission sponsored by the town's local government unit on December 13.

Lumbatan town mayor Allan Lao said the activity was aimed to bring down health services to the constituents living in far-flung areas.

Free health services which included medical and dental consultations, pre and post natal check-up, vaccination, deworming and laboratory tests such as blood, glucose, uric acid and septum exam for tuberculosis symptomatic were offered during the medical and dental mission.

Around 875 individuals, including internally displaced persons (IDP) from the nearby town Butig, availed of the free medical and dental services.

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Abdul Barry Lao said Lumbatan is hosting 387 internally displaced families from Butig due to the military crackdown against Maute group started.

"Lumbatan is a transit point, many IDP's took refuge here," said Lao.

Alaga Ka Foundation of the television giant TV5 also distributed relief goods to the IDP's. "We are very thankful to the mayor for being supportive to our endeavors," said Dr. Monalisa Disomangcop, the town's Rural Health Physician.

The medical and dental mission was a joint program of the town's LGU, Rural Health Unit, Lanao del Sur's Integrated Provincial Health Office and Philippine Medical Association. (Lumbatan Information Office / PIA-10)

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ARMM remains last on list of HIV-infected regions in PH

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) remains at the bottom of the list among regions with cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).  

This comes as the region’s prevalence rate on the disease and infection stayed still at less than one percent by end of October this year. 

Despite these figures, the Infectious Diseases Cluster (IDC) of the ARMM Department of Health (DOH) warned citizens not to be complacent. 

“Whether we like it or not, we have HIV cases in ARMM,” Soraida Amilil, Cluster head of IDC said. It is still important for the public to be properly informed for their prevention and cure, Amilil said, noting the region is targeting zero HIV/AIDS case each year. 

As of October this year, 13 cases of HIV have been reported while none emerged as an AIDS case. Nineteen percent of the HIV cases come from the heterosexual demographics, while 81% come from the homosexual demographics, mainly from men who have sex with men. 

In 2014, the region has reported two AIDS cases, while seven were reported with HIV. Since 1984, the region’s Health department has reported a total of 76 positive cases of HIV while 11 were reported to have led to AIDS.

None of these cases were diagnosed within the region as the provincial health units still lack social hygiene clinics for HIV diagnostic testing, hence these cases were referred to regions 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), 10 (Northern Mindanao), and 11 (Davao Region) who have the capability to do the screening. This is about to change in 2017 the IDC of DOH-ARMM noted. 

Amilil said the agency has been working on the establishment of social hygiene clinics in the region to serve as satellite treatment centers for HIV. 

This will be piloted in the province of Tawi-Tawi by 2017, and then in Sulu, being the farthest islands to the mainland. The agency, she added, is currently complying with the requirements set for the treatment centers to be operational by next year. 

DOH-ARMM continues to strengthen its AIDS/HIV Prevention and Control Program through campaigns that aim at educating the public, as well as to eliminate the stigma and discrimination associated with people living with HIV and AIDS. 

Doctors have been reiterating that the virus is not transmittable by merely socializing with them as it only thrives inside the body and cannot be transmitted by mere skin-to-skin contact.

“Hindi ito dapat ikahiya,” Amilil said, noting it is not acquired only through unprotected sexual activities. 90 to 98% of transmission is through blood transfusion, organ transplant, sharing used needles and needle pricks. 

There are also preventive measures for HIV leading to AIDS and this is provided free to people living with HIV and AIDS.  (BPI/PIA-10) 

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