Bangsamoro Parliament approves P10-billion from 2020, 2021 Special Development Fund

 Repost by Becky de Asis/The Redline News 

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Parliament unanimously approved a bill appropriating P10-billion from the 2020 and 2021 Special Development Fund on third and final reading.

A total of 40 members of the Parliament, both physically and virtually present, voted in favor of Parliament Bill 139 sponsored by the Government of the Day, with no other member voting against it or abstaining from voting.

Following a series of committee hearings, Atty. Ubaida Pacasem, vice-chair of the Committee on Finance, Budget, and Management, presented the committee report to the plenary on Friday, which includes the measure's final amendments.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law provides a special development fund of 5 billion pesos a year for 10 years to rebuild, rehabilitate, and develop conflict-affected communities in the Bangsamoro region.

Eduard Guerra, chair of the Committee on Finance, Budget, and Management, stated that the Bangsamoro Government would provide additional projects to conflict-affected communities in the region as a result of the measure's passage.

"The SDF is the result of negotiations between the MILF and the Government of the Philippines to rehabilitate conflict-affected communities," MP Guerra explained, adding that the Bangsamoro Government will not only implement infrastructure projects but also provide programs for widows and orphans.

The SDF will be utilized based on the Bangsamoro Development Plan, which the Parliament and Bangsamoro Economic and Development Council has approved in 2020.

Composed of 13 chapters, a 354-page document, the region's development plan articulated the overall direction of the BARMM and was consistent with the development thrusts of the national government.

The plan serves as the roadmap for the region's development, containing strategies and priority projects responsive to the needs of the Bangsamoro people.

The Bangsamoro government has identified eight (8) development goals for which priority actions would be focused, including:

●     Establishing the foundations for inclusive, transparent, accountable, and efficient governance;

●     Upholding peace, security, public order and safety, and respect for human rights;

●     Creating a favorable enabling environment for inclusive and sustainable economic development;

●     Promoting Bangsamoro identity, cultures, and diversity;

●     Ensuring access to and delivery of quality services for human capital development;

●     Harnessing technology and innovations to increase socio-economic opportunities and improve government services;

●     Increasing strategic and climate-resilient infrastructure to support sustainable socio-economic development; and

●     Improving ecological integrity and promoting and enhancing climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction to sustain the resilience of communities.

Under the approved bill, releases from this fund shall be made by the Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Management to the implementing ministries and offices subject to the approval of the Chief Minister and upon the submission of a special budget request.

The MFBM is authorized to issue the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of the cash budgeting system.

For transparency of infrastructure projects, ministries and offices shall post a detailed description of the projects and actual cost on their respective websites. Ministries are also required to submit their quarterly financial and physical reports to the MFBM.

A technical working group will be formed to facilitate the development and consolidation of the programs, projects, and activities and ensure that it is consistent with the BDP. (Publication and Media Relations Division)

 

MTIT conducts trainor’s training, monitoring of tourism projects in Tawi-Tawi

 Repost by Becky de Asis/The Redline News

TAWI-TAWI — The Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism (MTIT) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), through its tourism bureau conducted a trainor’s training and monitoring of tourism projects in this far-flung province on October 7-9.
 
According to Engr. John Lomboy, regional office's chief tourism operation officer, the 3-day training aimed at strengthening the human resource of the Bureau of Tourism (BOT) and MTIT tourism officers in the entire region.
 
Participants include provincial directors and tourism officers from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan,  and Sulu.
 
The training focused on customer service, Filipino brand of service, tourism event organizing, tourism awareness, and tourism value chain as topics of discussion, which were lectured by different resource speakers of the MTIT to include Engr. Lomboy himself.
 
Engr. Lomboy said that they are using a general approach with their tourism promotion while waiting for the completion of the regional tourism development plan.
 
“Katunayan ang MTIT ay nag-hire ng consultant upang i-formulate ang nasabing plano sa tourism development ng BARMM,” Lomboy added.
 
Meanwhile, Phemeena Mambatawan, MTIT regional information officer, said that monitoring of tourism related establishments (TRE) particularly restaurants and sites in the province, was one of the ministry’s activities in the visitation aside from conducting the training.
 
This aimed for accommodation and accreditation of the TRE into the regional tourism board, and Hadji Uppay Eco-Farm was among the visited areas as part of the MTIT tourism project. 
 
The Hadji Uppay Eco-Farm in Lapid-Lapid, Bongao, popularly known as the “rubber tree farm” has turned into a tourist site for the locals in the province.
 
MTIT Tawi-Tawi Provincial Director Termizie Masahud said that they have been so busy for the last eight days roaming around Tawi-Tawi together with the hired MTIT consultant to identify tourism related establishments in the province.
 
“This is in consonance with the crafting and formulation of the regional tourism development plan of the Bangsamoro government,” Masahud said.  (Bangsamoro Information Office)

Japan’s vaccination showing results as Tokyo posts lowest cases

 Repost by Becky de Asis/The Redline News

ANKARA – Japan’s anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign is showing results as the capital Tokyo registered the lowest Covd-19 cases in at least one year, authorities said Monday.

The Japanese government revealed that more than 64 percent of the country’s 126 million population was “fully vaccinated” against the coronavirus, public broadcaster NHK News reported.

“Over 93.1 million people, or 73.6 percent of the population, have received their first shots, and that more than 81.4 million people, or 64.3 percent, have had two shots,” the government figures showed.

The data was released on the same day when Tokyo registered 49 coronavirus cases, which is the lowest daily number of cases since June last year. It is the third consecutive day that the capital registered decreasing number of coronavirus cases.

Japan is witnessing a “steady decline” in infections across the country which has reported 1.7 million COVID-19 cases, including 17,941 deaths, so far.

Authorities are also mulling third booster vaccine shots by the end of this year while the government has secured millions of more vaccines from US manufacturer Pfizer in a deal signed last week. (Anadolu)

Christians for Peace Movement sets up BARMM Settlers, Communities office

By: Mark Navales

Post by Becky de Asis/The Redline News Editor

Stakeholders of the settler communities sharing ideas and solution, mostly coming from the Christians for Peace Movement composed of the Institutional Churches in the Bangsamoro Region gathered for a direction setting and strategic planning for the newly constituted Office for the Settler Communities (OSC-BARMM). Photo byMark Navales

 

General Santos City  - The key stakeholders of the settler communities, mostly coming from the Christians for Peace Movement composed of the Institutional Churches in the Bangsamoro, gathered for a direction setting and strategic planning for the newly constituted Office for the Settler Communities (OSC-BARMM) in the Bangsamoro on October 4-6, 2021 at Greenleaf Hotel, General Santos City, Philippines. 

Edgardo B. Ramirez, the first ever appointed Office Executive Director by BARMM Chief Minister Ahod ‘Alhaj Murad’ B. Ebrahim, and lead convenor of the Christians for Movement.

“The activity was very critical to jumpstart the Office operation as an attached agency to the Office of the Chief Minister, the Office serves as the primary agency responsible in promoting the welfare and addressing the issues and concerns of Christian dominated settlers’ communities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region”. Ramirez said.

 Edgardo B. Ramirez gestures while he was delivering his message to the stakeholders, he is the first ever appointed Office Executive Director by BARMM Chief Minister Ahod ‘Alhaj Murad’ B. Ebrahim, and lead convenor of the Christians for Movement. ( ByMark Navales)

 

In his opening message, Chief Minister Alhaj Murad Ebrahim, expressed that the Office operationalization is another chapter of the BARMM.

“Being a political infrastructure working for inclusive and moral governance, as chief Minister, my leadership consciously makes its effort to engage all peoples, ethnics and sectors in governance of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region”. Murad said.  

His Eminence Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, DD, on his part, manifested his appreciation to the BARMM government leadership in constituting the Office through the appointment of Prof. Ramirez to head the Office.

“l challenged the participants to look into reality on how can the Office facilitate a productive dynamic among the settler communities and the other peoples in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”. Quevedo said.

The three-day direction setting and planning is a foundational activity the OSC-BARMM  and a concrete manifestation of the commitment for the collaboration and partnership among the OSC-BARMM, Church Institutions, Christian dominated local government units in the BARMM, International Organizations such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as part of its Office’s organizational development and capacity building being a newly created Office.

The Office for Settler Communities is mandated to ensure that settlers enjoy the rights guaranteed to them by the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the Constitution, and all other laws as may be enacted by the Bangsamoro Parliament.

The Office has the following powers and function based on the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 13, otherwise known as the Bangsamoro Administrative Code:

Provide advice and assistance to the Chief Minister in the formulation, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of policies, plans, programs, and projects affecting settler communities;

Coordinate with concerned ministries, agencies, and other offices, when necessary, in the performance of its function;

Act as the primary agency for coordination with Settler Communities for the purpose of raising their concerns requiring assistance from the Bangsamoro Government, and as the primary agency for coordination with relevant ministries and agencies of the Bangsamoro

When necessary, provide additional support to ministries, agencies, and offices in implementing programs and projects assistance in relation to Settler Communities;

Perform other functions as may be provided by law or assigned by the Chief Minister. ( ByMark Navales)