DOH-ARMM official to represent PH in U.S.-sponsored professional exchange program

An official from the Department of Health in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DOH-ARMM) will represent the country in a global health initiative sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s  International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).

Dyan Sangkula Jumaide, assistant secretary of the Department of Health-ARMM, said the multi-regional project dubbed “Global Health: Building Country Capacity,” to be administered by Meridian International Center, will start on March 18 and end on April 8.

Participants in the program are from 21 other countries who are medical professionals involved in healthcare treatment and disease prevention education programs, including nurses, doctors, hospital administrators, Ministry of Health officials, educators, nongovernmental organization staff, social workers, and media.

The program kicks off in Washington DC and will include visits to Boston, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Salt Lake City, Utah; San Diego, California; and Atlanta, Georgia.

The three-week program will introduce the role of the U.S. federal, state and municipal government agencies and nongovernmental organizations in developing and implementing public health programs and policies. 

Healthcare trends and training and the latest research in the field of public health especially in cancer, stroke, diabetes, childhood and infectious diseases will be covered during visits to research centers, medical schools, and teaching hospitals.

The program will include opportunities to examine research, prevention, treatment, patient counseling, public outreach and education, and support services, and meet with professional counterparts, medical personnel, and activists to share success stories and challenges.

“In ARMM, the lack of health workers is one of the problems besetting the healthcare system, so maybe through this program, I could learn better health practices on how to address health problems issues in our region and in our country,” Assistant Secretary Jumaide said.

Starting as a staff nurse at the Datu Alawaddin Bandon Sr. Memorial Hospital in Tawi-Tawi (1993-2000), Assistant Secretary Jumaide became a health information officer in the same province (2000-2006), project officer of USAID (2006-2010), assemblywoman, and currently as DOH-ARMM’s assistant secretary.

Participants in the IVLP are nominated and selected annually by the staff at U.S. embassies around the world. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM declares Polloc Freeport and Ecozone as halal hub

Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has officially declared the Polloc Freeport and Ecozone in Parang, Maguindanao as ‘halal hub’, the first truly halal ecozone in the country.

“The ARMM government is continually working to open the possibilities to the halal market in the region as well as in the country that serves as a gateway to the multi-trillion dollar halal industry,” Hataman said.

The declaration of a halal economic zone will attract local and foreign investors to export and import halal products and services.

Aleem Guiapal, ARMM’s economic zone authority (REZA) executive director, said a declared halal ecozone becomes halal-industry ready and industry investments would be fully supported.

Guiapal noted that REZA continues to forge stronger partnerships with potential investors.

Halal is an Arabic word meaning permissible based on Islamic Sharia law and the term can cover both goods – such as foods, drinks, medicines, clothing and cosmetics – and services as well as places.

“We see tremendous opportunities here in the region. So now, we want to differentiate our market on the other economic zones in the Philippines,” Guiapal said.

He said the declaration is considered a medium to attaining the vision of a sustainable ARMM economy.

“We, in Muslim Mindanao, should seize the opportunity as the halal market worldwide is continuously growing,” he said .

Ecozones are selected areas with highly developed, or which have the potential to be developed into, agri-industrial, industrial, tourist/recreational, commercial, banking, investment and financial centers. Having halal ecozones in the ARMM means it would open opportunities to the region as well as to the country for the growing global halal industry.

A worldwide study conducted two years ago by Thomson Reuters in collaboration with Dinar Standard noted the global halal market in 2018 would reach $1.6 trillion with an annual growth rate of 6.9 percent.

Among the potential markets for Mindanao-produced halal foods are Middle East countries, Singapore as well as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines under the East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

With these exciting opportunities, Guiapal said the region is still facing challenges. “We still need to continually capacitate our experts, the halal-certifying bodies and in terms of technical know-how and operations to run a halal hub,” he said.

In the region, outside of the Polloc Freeport, REZA’s list also included the facility of B.J. Coco Oil Mill, a firm operating in ZambongaPeninsula and in Sulu, as an ecozone. Coco Oil Mill’s port, however, is currently not operating.

Other planned ARMM ecozones are located in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; Jolo, Sulu; Malabang; Lanao del Sur; Marawi City in Lanao del Sur; and in Basilan.

REZA is mandated to oversee the integration, coordination, planning and monitoring of special economic zones, industrial estate/parks, export processing zones and other economic zones in the ARMM. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM to be culturally sensitive on issue of condom distribution in schools - Hataman

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government will be “culturally sensitive” should the program on the distribution of condoms in schools is implemented in the region, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said.

The governor made the statement during the ‘Tapatan sa ARMM’, a regular media forum held on  January 26 at the ARMM's seat in Cotabato City.

Secretary Paulyn Ubial of the Department of Health (DOH) earlier said the program will be implemented nationwide this year as part of efforts to stop the increasing number of cases of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among the youth.

The program would be implemented in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), which has expressed reservation on the plan.

In a statement, DepEd said it recognizes the need to stop the surging spread of HIV/AIDS among the youth and  discussions with DOH on this matter will soon be conducted.

In the ARMM, where most places are conservative and people consider sex-related topics taboo, Hataman said the ARMM government will undertake measures to deliberate on the plan.

“Definitely, the ARMM government will be culturally sensitive,”  Hataman said.

He also said Islamic religious leaders such as the Regional Darul 'Ifta, which is the authority on religious and cultural values of Muslims in the region, would be consulted on this issue.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has warned that condom distribution in schools will encourage pre-marital sex among Filipino youth noting it could even condone sexual activity among students.

The DOH has explained that the distribution of condoms will be accompanied by guidelines and measures, and will not be distributed indiscriminately to students.

Those receiving condoms will undergo counseling, and sex education discussions with their parents. Teachers, it noted, will be trained on how to impart lessons on sex education.

In the Philippines, 32,099 cases of HIV/AIDS were reported from 2011 to October 2016. Government data also showed 9,066 HIV/AIDS cases reported during the five-year period were traced to those aged 15 to 25.

The ARMM has remained at the bottom of the DOH’s list of regions with cases of HIV/AIDS. Despite this, the Infectious Diseases Cluster (IDC) of the ARMM’s Health department warned citizens not to be complacent.

“Whether we like it or not, we have HIV cases in the ARMM,” said Soraida Amilil, IDC cluster head. As of October this year, 13 cases of HIV have been reported while none emerged as a full-blown AIDS case.

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

The DOH has allocated a P1-billion fund for the HIV/AIDS program, with P50 million to P100 million intended for the procurement of condom. The department has launched awareness drives on preventive measures for HIV leading to AIDS. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM embarks on BRIDGe Project to boost business, investments

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is embarking on a project to empower both the communities and businesses to engage in sustainable business enterprises.

Dubbed “Brokering Business Investments in the Bangsamoro to achieve Inclusive Development and Growth” (BRIDGe), the project aims to facilitate the development of Bangsamoro-specific business investment standards and protocols.

It will be implemented by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Hineleban Foundation in collaboration with the Regional Board of Investments (RBOI)-ARMM.

BRIDGe is funded by the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The formal partnership among the players was sealed on January 23, 2017, at the ARMM Manila Liaison Office in Makati City through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the PBSP and ARMM Regional Government through RBOI.

The memorandum cites the roles and areas of cooperation of each participant agency for the successful implementation of the project.

PBSP recently conducted a Development Partners’ Meeting with the Program Advisory Committee to generate inputs on the formulation and finalization of the Business Sustainability Framework in Bangsamoro and how to improve the project’s implementation.

Such framework seeks to define the role and behavior of corporations and partner communities that would make agribusiness investments in the Bangsamoro sustainable and responsible.

Lawyer Ishak V. Mastura, chairman and managing head of RBOI, said part of the project outcome will strengthen the capacity of RBOI to facilitate investments in the ARMM, help capacitate local communities to engage in business development, and promote businesses in the region among local and international investors.

“The project is very relevant and timely because this will prepare us, especially on the business aspect, in the possible transition from the present form of government to federalism, which is what the Duterte administration is now pushing in congress,” Mastura said.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman expressed his optimism about the project. “In line with the initiative of President Duterte to promote and encourage business investments from big businesses and tycoons to the ARMM, this project will enhance the capacity of our communities to receive those investments,” Gov. Hataman said. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM advocates peace through infra projects in Mamasapano

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) continues to advocate for peace in the region through investing in infrastructure projects that would respond to the needs of the once conflict-inflicted Mamasapano town in Maguindanao.   

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman reiterated that infrastructure projects are also a key to wiping poverty in Mamasapano.   

The encounter between government forces and revolutionary groups in Mamasapano two years ago has been horrific for local residents but the tragedy has become an opportunity for the government to respond to the community’s needs.   

A series of site inspections were conducted to continually identify the needed services of the community for education, health services, and other community welfare services such as water supply and road networks.  

 To help Mamasapano residents improve their lives, the regional government has earmarked P667 million for infrastructure to be constructed within the municipality, including high-impact projects.   

These projects provide greater impacts in the community including: opportunity for economic growth and community connectivity through intra-barangay and inter-barangay roads;  job opportunities for construction workers;  better education and learning experiences through school building projects; greater access to government services through community health centers; and lesser threat of water-borne and sanitation caused diseases through water sanitation and water supply projects, among others. 

Different programs and instrumentalities of the ARMM government have poured investments in conflict-inflicted towns such as the ARMM’s Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy (ARMM-HELPS), and ARMM’s Humanitarian and Development Action Plan (ARMM-HDAP).   

ARMM-HELPS is a convergence initiative of the regional government and is regarded as the centerpiece of the Hataman administration. In Mamasapano alone, ARMM-HELPS implemented various projects in Barangay Tukanalipao and Barangay Libutan.   

In Barangay Tukanalipao, projects worth roughly P8 million were completed including construction of health center, water sanitation, barangay hall, community learning center and solar drier.   While in Barangay Libutan, P9-million worth of projects are still on-going such as the renovation of a health center, construction of barangay hall, market, water system, and community learning center.   

To date, the construction of one storey two-classroom units in Hadji Kalaing Elementary School and Hadji Salik Kalaing National High School as well as the construction of Tukanalipao footbridge and concreting of Tukanalipao access road has been completed.  

 “Other infrastructure projects in Mamasapano are still on-going,” Engr. James Mlok, head of ARMM’s 2nd district engineering office said.   

Anwar Upahm, ARMM-HELPS executive director, said Governor Hataman wants an increase not only in infrastructure investments in Mamasapano but also livelihood programs.   

“Due to the incident, the governor together with the concerned line agencies formulated a comprehensive plan that will immediately aid the needs of the people in the area. It encompasses not just Mamasapano but also its neighboring areas,” said Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, Regional Planning and Development Office executive director and ARMM- HDAP project manager.   

The ARMM-HDAP primarily focuses on providing humanitarian assistance and various government initiatives relative to development such as livelihood, infrastructure, health facilities, education, and others. (BPI/PIA-10) 

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Ayala Foundation, LGU-Marawi ink MOA for a community-based rehab center

Photo credit to Philippine Information Agency - NCR

A two-storey unused building in Brgy. Poblacion, here, will soon house recovering drug dependents in the province.

The  Ayala Foundation, Inc.  has entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Marawi City Government on Tuesday, January 24, for the establishment of the drug rehabilitation facility.

To be called Siyapen, which is the Maranao word for care, the center will occupy an existing two-storey building owned by the Marawi City government with a total floor area of 851 sq.m. and lot area of 2,000 sq.m.

The Ayala Foundation will oversee the refurbishment of the structure through its construction arm, Makati Development Corporation (MDC).

MDC will work on the facility from January to April 2017 and will turnover the center to the city government once completed. Ayala will also provide seed funding for the first year of operations.

Siyapen Center will have 70 beds for in-patient treatment but will also be able to accommodate drug dependents undergoing outpatient care.

This community-based treatment and care center seeks to provide a space that encourages physical wellness and social integration. It allows drug dependents to have better access to family and other forms of social support which are crucial to their recovery.

The center will also provide other therapeutic activities such as exercise and group sessions. Its proximity to a mosque will further open up opportunities for spiritual counseling.

Photo credit to Philippine Information Agency - NCR

"We believe that the Siyapen Center will contribute significantly to the treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents in ARMM, primarily in Marawi City," said Ruel Maranan, president of Ayala Foundation.

"In building Siyapen, we hope to provide a space where person-centered recovery is made first priority, thereby paving the way for meaningful reintegration into society," he added.

The construction of the Siyapen Center is part of Ayala Foundation's continuing development efforts in Mindanao.

"The Siyapen Drug Rehabilitation Center is our way of addressing another challenge Mindanao faces, and of responding to the national government's call for private sector support in addressing the drug problem, said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation and co-chairman of Ayala Foundation.

The Philippine National Police reported at least 123 persons arrested for suspicion of drug-related involvement in Marawi City as of November 22, 2016. At least 471 persons have voluntarily surrendered to the local police.

Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra is elated that after requesting President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for a drug rehabilitation center a month ago, he is finally seeing the answer to his request, through the help of the Ayala Foundation.

Photo credit to Philippine Information Agency - NCR

"I believe we are making great progress. Let us give our all-out support to the fight against illegal drugs," Gandamra said in his speech.

Provincial Governor Soraya A. Adiong thanked the Ayala Foundation for  partnering with the local government in the drive against drug proliferation in the province.

She said the MOA signing made her feel more inspired and determined to continuously eradicate the drug menace affecting not only the province but the entire Philippines.

When the governor assumed office, she crafted her 9-Point Agenda of Governance which included the eradication of the use of illegal drugs. She also ordered the conduct of a Provincial Anti-Drug Awareness Orientation for the youth where young people were educated on the ill-effects of substance use and abuse.

The provincial government also plans to bring down the program to the municipal and barangay levels this year to reach a larger constituents. (APB/PIA-10)

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Oversight bodies to protect, develop Lake Lanao river basin created

The Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) created oversight bodies to protect and manage the Lake Lanao River Basin.

The Lanao Basin Management Council and five sub-watershed management councils were created in a workshop held on January 9-10, 2017 in Grand City Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

The workshop was aimed to ensure that Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project or (INREMP) activities are carefully planned and carried out through the oversight bodies to protect, manage and develop the Lake Lanao River Basin.

INREMP is intended to address unsustainable watershed management in four priority river basins including Lake Lanao.

Members of the oversight bodies were also oriented on their roles and responsibilities to effectively manage the watersheds in Lake Lanao River Basin.

Present during the meeting were Governor Bedjoria Soraya A. Adiong, Vice Governor Mamintal “Bombit” A. Adiong, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Lordelie Enjambre who represented Secretary Abul Khayr Alonto, Municipal Mayors League President Atty. Dimnatang L. Pansar, Pipalawan Naga, Interior and Local Government Assistant Regional Director McMillan Lucman, local chief executives, and representatives from the provincial DENR, Philippine Army, National Power Corporation, Mindanao State University.

Provincial Governor Adiong said failure to protect Lake Lanao will have a negative impact not only in the lives of the Maranaos but to all Mindanaoans.

She said Lake Lanao presents many benefits to people - be it economic, recreational, aesthetic, cultural, educational, scientific, and ecological. (PIO Lanao del Sur/PIA-10)

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OWWA-ARMM cautions prospective overseas workers on direct hiring

Photo from www.owwa.gov.ph

Residents of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) who plan to work overseas are cautioned by the region’s Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to avoid the ‘direct hiring’ scheme and instead engage with legitimate recruitment agencies.

                     
This would ensure their work documents are processed properly and in accordance with standards set by their employers.   

Odin Abdula, OWWA-ARMM’s programs and services division chief, said prospective overseas workers should transact only with licensed agencies duly accredited by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

This information was relayed following reports of rampant labor violations committed by employers mostly in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in the Middle East. Abdula said workers hired through legitimate agencies are assured of support as parallel efforts between foreign agencies or employers overseas and that of the government are done to address concerns of deployed workers.

The direct hiring scheme, however, limits Philippine overseas labor officers to immediately respond to problems of workers due to the absence of a legitimate agency compounded further by stringent labor laws carried out by the host country.

“We usually remind recruitment agencies based in Manila and foreign agencies or employers overseas of their liability under Republic Act 8042 as amended by Republic Act 10022, otherwise known as the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995,” said Abdula.

This law protects and promotes the welfare of migrant workers including their families and provides immediate assistance to overseas Filipinos in distress.

Abdula noted that a high number, or up to 90 percent, of welfare cases involving overseas household service workers from the region covers maltreatment, sexual and physical abuses, as well as underpaid and unpaid salaries. The remaining 10 percent represents skilled or low-skilled company workers' complaints of illegal termination.

Data obtained from OWWA-ARMM showed that from July 1 to 29, 2016, a total of 77 welfare cases involving five male company workers and 72 female household service overseas workers were recorded and attended by the agency. 

 As of August 2016, the number of welfare cases rose to 152 involving 37 male and 115 female workers. The increase in cases filed by male workers is due to the crisis in Saudi Arabia wherein some companies suffered financial setbacks and thus have to resort to retrenchment. There are around 21,700 workers, generally male, affected by crisis, records showed.

On cases of repatriation, Abdula stressed that four repatriated workers have sought help from OWWA-ARMM. As per record, he said, 30 families and 29 workers are to be scheduled for repatriation. These workers are still in Saudi Arabia working for the release of their unpaid salaries and end-of-service benefits.

For repatriated workers, a P2 billion-fund intended for livelihood under the reintegration program is available, Abdula added. OWWA raised P1 billion while the other P1 billion is from the Land Bank of the Philippines. The fund is covered by a memorandum of agreement wherein the bank manages the fund as OWWA has no capacity to determine the viability of livelihood projects.

Stranded overseas workers in Saudi Arabia and those who have been repatriated to the Philippines but have not received their benefits are given cash assistance of 1,590 Rials, or P20,000, while families of workers still at the jobsite are granted P6,000 apart from the scholarship programs offered by the government.

Workers planning to work overseas are advised to undergo a pre-orientation seminar offered, the OWWA-ARMM official said. This can be done online even while their papers are still being processed. “Do not go abroad if not through a legitimate agency. There are agencies whose license to operate are cancelled but still accepting documents for prospective OFWs,” Abdula warned.

OWWA-ARMM is also coordinating with local government units for additional resources that could immediately provide other forms of assistance such as scholarship grants to repatriated OFWs. (BPI/PIA-10)

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ARMM holds ports management authority summit

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Aug 31 (PIA) --- To increase the efficiency and the capacity of port terminals in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Regional Ports Management Authority (RPMA) conducted a one-day ports management summit in Zamboanga City, Tuesday, August 30.

With the theme ‘Collaboration and Information Sharing as Key Factors to Promote Development Initiatives in ARMM Ports,’ this year’s summit is a maiden flagship initiative of the RPMA-ARMM.

Ersan Imban Warad, general manager of RPMA-ARMM, said the conduct of the summit was aimed at soliciting diverse regional platforms from various investors, port operators, stakeholders and port users to explore potential business opportunities, discuss management strategies and development initiatives in the ports sector.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said the years before were challenging times for the ports authority as it only earned P9.4 million in 2013. “But in the years that followed, our good governance agenda paved the way for reforms. We sought out the problems and we worked hard to find solutions,” he said.

The authority was restructured and made sure that its roadmap is aligned with the region’s reform agenda.

“As we move forward, we will continue our efforts on information sharing and collaboration with our clients. The reforms we implement in our ports are only as good as their continued engagement,” Gov. Hataman added.

Arthur Nogas, harbor master of the Philippine Ports Authority-Zamboanga City and one of the presenters during the summit, discussed the best practices on ports management and operation that may be applied in the region.

Engr. Jun Macalawan, supervising investment specialist of the Regional Board of Investments-ARMM, meanwhile, tackled the investment opportunities in the region. As of August this year, the authority generated P5.7 million income from its seaport operations.

During the summit, the authority distributed equipment for the various base and sub-ports in Jolo and Siasi in Sulu; Bongao, Mapun, Sitangkai and Sibutu in Tawi-Tawi; and Lamitan City and Maluso in Basilan.

The participants confirmed their solid commitment in achieving the vision of the regional government based on safe, reliable ports facilities and secure sea transportation, protection of the maritime environments and the promotion of the rules of national and international maritime law.

“We are continuously working to develop safe, integrated and sustained seaports network in the ARMM,” Warad said. (BPI-ARMM/APB/PIA-10)

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BSP bestows ‘outstanding partner’ award to RBOI-ARMM

MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Aug. 29 (PIA) --- The Regional Board of Investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RBOI-ARMM) was again recognized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as an outstanding partner for its report on regional economic development.

Atty. Ishak Mastura, RBOI-ARMM chairman, received the ‘Dynamic Balance, Philippine Eagle’ trophy crafted by visual artist and multi-awarded sculptor Ferdinand Cacnio.

RBOI is the first agency from ARMM to receive such award.

With the theme ‘Sustained Partnership, Sustained Economic Growth,’ the awards ceremony and appreciation lunch on August 23 was held to acknowledge the agency’s successful partnership with stakeholders and to honor its exemplary support to BSP’s statistical undertakings, information needs, and advocacy programs.

“Due to the value, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the information/reports, the agency has provided BSP an annual publication of the report on Regional Economic Development in the Philippines,” Atty. Mastura said.

The agency also has a high track record of cooperation, which is another criterion for the said award category.

Atty. Mastura said the agency has been open to the public through its official website and has been intensifying its information dissemination through the help of media networks.

“This is part of our active participation in upholding transparency and open governance by the Hataman administration and in support to President Duterte’s executive order on freedom of information that we in the government are mandated to full public disclosure,” said Atty. Mastura.

“We make sure that relevant information is being shared with its stakeholders and partners who need ARMM’s investment-related data like the BSP. This is also our way of providing useful knowledge that will further contribute to the advancement of an informed government and society as a whole,” he added.

BSP has been giving recognition to its outstanding partners annually as a way of expressing gratitude for the strong support it receives from its partner institutions. (BPI-ARMM/PIA-10)

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