16 Sultanates of Lanao confer Ebdane as 'Sultan a Mangompia sa Pilipinas'

Islamic City of Marawi (20 August) -- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr has been conferred the traditional title of 'Sultan a Mangompia sa Pilipinas' by the 16 Sultanates of Lanao in a fitting ceremonies held at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall, August 19.

Through his effort in the construction of roads and infrastructure nationwide, Secretary Ebdane possesses the criteria of bearing the title 'The Builder', Lanao del Sur Provincial Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. said.

"It is a privilege for us for Secretary Ebdane to become part of our political institution as a new son of Lanao del Sur. As the governor of this province, it is an honor for me to be sharing a traditional principle of leadership with him," Governor Adiong further said.

The Governor hoped that the new duty and responsibility of Secretary Ebdane as Sultan will serve as a challenge for him to make the province a better community.

"We fervently hope that his regime will be an astounding success in promoting goodness and oneness among us," the Governor added.

After the conferment, Ebdane thanked the Sultanates and the provincial government for their trust and confidence in conferring him such title saying he accepted it with great honor and humility and that he would continue to do everything within his power and influence to ensure that the dream of peace and prosperity in Mindanao becomes a reality.

My job, he said, has been to pave the way to the future, literally, with roads and bridges that link our people and our communities.

"And the work must go on. Together, the road to the future is in our hands. Ang kalsada ang tulay sa kinabukasan kaya sama-sama natin itong alagaan (The road is our bridge to the future, hence, we should collectively take care of it)," he reiterated.(Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA)

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Lanao Sur officials laud national gov't infra dev't assistance

Islamic City of Marawi (20 August) -- The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Lanao del Sur recently adopted a resolution commending the national government for the assistance it provided to the people of the province in the field of infrastructure development thru the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). 

Resolution 26 dated August 17, 2009 stated that the assistance is laudable and greatly appreciated by the people of Lanao del Sur because infrastructure development have pave way for achieving long-term productive value of investments, sustainability of socio-economic programs and the maintenance of peace and order in the province. 

To further express gratitude and appreciation, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolved to bestow upon Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr of the DPWH the highest honor that the people of Lanao del Sur can provide by officially adopting him as a son of the province.

Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave DPWH Sec. Ebdane the 'go-signal' for the immediate implementation of both the repair and improvement of the Marawi-Bito National Road with a cost of Php100-million. 

The DPWH Secretary, in his visit here last July 3, also sounded off the scheduled start of construction of the Php 635-million Saudi government-funded rehabilitation of the Lake Lanao Circumferential Road. (Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA)

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Poor Lanao Sur residents benefit from PHO medical mission

Islamic City of Marawi (20 August) -- Thousands of residents of the province of Lanao del Sur benefited from the medical mission conducted by the Provincial Health Office (PHO).

The four-day medical mission held last August 13 to 16 this year catered four barangays in the municipality of Wao, this province.

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Mangoda Dima, Jr. disclosed that some 1,552 patients were provided free medical consultations. Around 310 patients were provided optical services, 313 individuals underwent dental extraction while about 107 patents availed of the operation 'tuli' (circumcision).

The medical mission according to Dr. Dima was made possible through the joint efforts of the provincial government and the local government of Wao.

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Agri-trade exhibit marks opening of 7th ARMM Business Congress

Islamic City of Marawi-- An agri-trade fair and exhibit showcasing local products in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) marks the opening of the 7th ARMM Business Congress in Islamic City of Marawi.

According to Secretary Sajid S. Druz-Ali of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–ARMM, the trade exhibit is a venue for showcasing a number of local products that are seeking further development so that it would find a better market here and abroad.

'The exhibit is one way of showing not only the rich abilities of our local producers for great products but also to invite guests, policy-makers, institutions including the academe to lay their nurturing hands so that these products may evolve further into more market-ready forms," the Secretary said.

Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur said the trade exhibit is a symbol of the joint efforts of the provincial government, farmers, and other stakeholders to promote long-term self-reliant in the rural communities as well as to boost local tourism.

Tourism is tremendous, the Governor said, but there cannot be tourism when there is no production and other economic activities.

Without production, there is nothing for the tourists to look forward to, he stressed.

The ARMM Business Congress is an annual activity of the ARMM Business Council (ABC) Foundation Inc. intended to draw in more investors to further improve the trade and industry activities in the region.

It serves as the vital link between the private sector and the government, harmonizing businesses with local and foreign capitalists to make ARMM a business sanctuary of the country.

This year's congress is anchored on the theme, Maximizing Investment Gains to Propel Economic Development in ARMM," which aims to internalize among players in the business sectors to sustain investment gains in the region.

The different exhibitors who participated in the agri-trade fair came from the provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Lanao del Sur as well as the Islamic City of Marawi. (Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA)

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Lanao Sur hosts 7th ARMM Business Congress

Islamic City of Marawi (6 August) -- To uplift the morale of the business sector and other stakeholders through sustained socio-economic development in the province, the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur hosted this year's ARMM Business Congress.

Now on its 7th year, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Business Congress is the biggest gathering of key individuals from the government, business sector, and other stakeholders in the region.

Lanao del Sur Provincial Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr said the gathering underscores the need for greater cooperation among stakeholders and strong commitment for capacity building in the region to encourage business activity.

'There are so many brilliant business opportunities in the region and these opportunities are the key to the regional stability, respect and confidence in the vibrant ARMM business community," Gov. Adiong said.

With the theme 'Maximizing Investment Gains to Propel Economic Development in ARMM," the congress aimed to strengthen the partnership among vital stakeholders for peace and development and to entice both local and foreign businessmen to embark on various business ventures in the region.

The two-day gathering was a collaborative effort of the ARMM Business Council (ABC), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)– ARMM, Regional Board of Investments (RBOI), Maranaw Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lanao del Sur Provincial Government, and the USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program which is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO).

Activities for the congress consisted of agri-trade exhibit, business matching of interested prospective investors, as well as plenary sessions on the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis, ARMM Economic Agenda, Food Security, and the Business Prospect of Halal Food Industry Development.

The Provincial Governor, meanwhile, hailed DTI for supporting the welfare of farmers, traders and craftsmen by advancing the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) program aimed at strengthening livelihood in rural communities.

Supporting the growth of local SMEs is one of the priority programs of the national government to sustain its anti-poverty thrust as well as stimulate local economic activity. (Apipa P Bagumbaran / PIA)

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Lanao Sur leaders support GRP-MILF truce

Marawi City (4 August) -- Leaders in Lanao del Sur hail the recent separate declarations of truce between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). 

Ulama League of the Philippines President Judge Aboali Cali said he and other peace advocates in Mindanao welcomed the reciprocal declarations hoping that the truce would redound to the immediate re-opening of the GRP-MILF peace talks. 

Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued a policy directive suspending military operations (SOMO) against the MILF. 

The SOMO was aimed to advance peace and stability in war-affected areas and provide a stable environment for the resumption of peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the MILF. 

The move was immediately reciprocated by the MILF announcing suspension of military action (SOMA). 

The mutual truce, Judge Cali said, will also give internally displaced persons (IDPs) the chance to return to their respective homes safely.

It will further contribute to the restoration of tranquility and harmony in Mindanao, he added. 

For his part, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. urged the government and all concerned sectors in conflict-affected areas to be cautiously assertive to preserve the truce by helping pacify both the military and MILF forces from any unnecessary armed engagements. 

The Governor stressed that the significance of the mutual declarations would be more meaningful if both forces could effectively avoid any provocations. 

Meanwhile, President Arroyo in her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) said that there is nothing more she could wish for than peace in Mindanao where Muslims, Christians, and Lumads can live together in peace, harmony and cooperation respecting each other's religious beliefs. (PIA)

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Lanao Sur mayor praises PGMA's determination to push the country forward

Manila (28 July) -- Mayor Raida B Maglangit of Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur praised President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her determination in pushing forward the nation despite political pressures and economic constraints. 

"I believe in what President Arroyo has said in her State of the Nation Address (SONA) that national problems cannot be knocked out with a single punch. Hindi yan nagagawa sa isang tulugan lamang (We cannot do that overnight). We need to work hand in hand so that all our aspirations of a better nation will be achieved," Maglangit said. 

The town mayor also commended President Arroyo for delivering a very substantial SONA.

The President, she said, was able to accomplished major achievements in terms of infrastructure, economy and education. 

Maglangit further said that her town benefited from the infrastructure and educational projects of the Arroyo administration such as construction of school buildings and hiring of additional teachers. 

President Arroyo showed her dedication and commitment to uplift the lives of Filipinos by placing education among her top priorities, the lady mayor added. 

In her last SONA during the 3rd Joint Regular Session of the 14th Congress, the President underscored the importance of education in reducing poverty stressing that education is the great equalizer that allows a young Filipino the chance to realize his / her dream. 

First Muslim woman bar topnotcher Atty. Mylene Amerol-Macumbal, whom the President recognized during the SONA, said she was happy to be one of the beneficiaries of the government's college and post-graduate scholarship program. 

"I am a product of Mindanao State University (MSU). I finished my accountancy degree and took up law in MSU. And I was not paying anything for it. Kaya malaki talaga ang naitulong ng MSU at ng gobyerno upang bumuti ang buhay ng mga tao sa Mindanao (MSU and the government have greatly helped in uplifting the lives of people in Mindanao)," Macumbal said. 

As of June 2009, the Arroyo administration has constructed more than 95,000 classrooms, procured over 135.6 million textbooks, installed computer labs in 4,019 public high schools, filled-up 60,000 teachers items, allotted Php1.5 billion for teacher training and provided college and post-graduate education for over 600,000 scholars. (Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA-Marawi City)

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Feature: Community consultation - new paradigm on Mindanao peace process

Cagayan de Oro City (24 July) -- For decades now, various voices have been crying for peace to happen in Mindanao. 

But on the eve of the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order followed by a declaration that the MOA-AD was unconstitutional. 

Throughout the period, violence ensued and the sound of guns dominated the various parts of region wherein thousands of civilians were rendered homeless. 

Then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in the last quarter of 2008, requested the Bishops-Ulama Conference (BUC) to oversee a consultative process to come up with a framework for lasting peace in Mindanao. 

Inspired by the challenge of ending the decades-long conflict and bringing peace in Mindanao, the BUC accepted the invitation of the government to spearhead the new peace process.

It commissioned a project dubbed as Konsult Mindanaw that allows broader peoples' participation in the peace process. 

Konsult Mindanaw held a series of extensive grassroots consultations and dialogues regarding the ongoing peace process with the MILF. It included representations from various sectors such as women, youth, rural and urban poor, local government units, non-government organizations, traditional leaders, religious groups, academe, business practitioners, professionals and internally displaced persons (IDPs). 

The project also involved special group discussions among artists, armed groups, media practitioners and children. 

It primarily aimed to expand the constituency of peace through wider consultations to reach the grassroots communities and diverse sectors of the Mindanao society. It also sought to draw diverse perceptions of the present situation and derive a common vision of peace in Mindanao to inspire personal commitment to its realization. 

Moreover, Konsult Mindanaw generated fresh ideas on how to enhance and proceed with the peace process hoping to learn new lessons that can further enrich the continuing peace education and communication. 

This community-based consultation divided into eight (8) regional centers reaching the whole of Mindanao that include among others, Basilan-Sulu-Tawi, Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao, Caraga, Central Mindanao, Socksargen, Northern Mindanao and the Lanao region.

Each regional operation is being hosted by an existing research center that will coordinate the communication process, conduct actual consultation and interpret the data gathered.

Major schools and universities across Mindanao have also been tapped to carry out the project like Ateneo universities in Davao and Zamboanga; Notre Dame University in Cotabato City; Mindanao State University in Marawi City, General Santos City and Tawi-Tawi; Urios College in Butuan City and Dansalan College in Marawi City in partnership with the Mountain view College in Bukidnon. 

Principally a research process, Konsult Mindanaw, enhances peace education and communication, democratic exercise as well as spiritual transformation,

It is not a substitute of the peace process but instead it complements the GRP-MILF peace talks and the broader peace process in Mindanao. (Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA)

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Feature: Ready to face the world: Glory be thy Gloria!

Marawi City (24 July) -- "With the new skills I learned, I feel a world-class career will be coming to life for me." 

Thus said Nasroden M. Alawi, one of the thousands Pangulong Gloria scholars of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). 

A scholar in a state university in year 2002 taking a post-graduate degree in teaching, Alawi was not able to pursue his dream profession because of financial constraints in completing his thesis requirement. 

"Seven years has dragged my life meaningless, and the huge investment in time and money for a dream career went down on drain until TESDA happens," Alawi said.

I have heard of TESDA's PGS, he said, but I never realized the hope it brings to the people especially the poor ones. 

The Pangulong Gloria Scholarship (PGS) is part of the economic resiliency plan of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reduce unemployment and underemployment in the country.

It aims to provide skills and competencies through various education, training and skills upgrading programs that will prepare job seekers for employment not only in the country but also abroad. 

Alawi considered himself lucky for having availed of the PGS. He is currently enrolled in the six-month Massage Therapy course in Cali Paramedical College, one of the school-partners of TESDA in Marawi City. 

At first, I took the course as my second option while waiting for opportunities to come but after the orientation conducted by TESDA, the thought has changed, he said.

The Pangulong Gloria Scholar expressed overwhelming confidence that the new skills he learned will increase his chances of getting hired here and abroad. 

The scholarship program will help in turning me from being a frustrated professional into a world-class worker, he said, I am now ready to face the world! (PIA-Marawi City/Cali Paramedical College)

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Ulama League condemns Mindanao blasts, joins nation in prayer

Marawi City (13 July) -- The Ulama League of the Philippines (ULP) condemns the series of bombings in Mindanao that resulted to an atmosphere of shock and extreme outrage. 

The ULP, in an open letter, expressed their condemnation on these barbaric acts saying that these incidents are actions of uncivilized people and are unpardonable in the eyes of both human and divine laws. 

The ULP also asked the peace-loving citizens of the country to be not influenced by some unfounded reasons and pre-tainting of the circumstances. 

"Let there be investigation of the truth relative to the perpetrators, after all, we civilians are the victims of the circumstances. Let there not be concocting of facts in ferreting out the truth because falsehood creates animosities and only wreak havoc," the ULP said. 

"We join the nation in prayer and search for justice. May this problem on peace come to its resolution," the ULP added. 

Meanwhile, Malacañang asked the public to remain calm and vigilant giving assurance that these bombing incidents are being investigated and that the government is doing all to resolve the series of Mindanao blasts, protect the public and look after the welfare of those displaced by the violence. (Apipa P Bagumbaran/PIA)

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