GOVERNANCE/POLITICS

KORONADAL CITY---Five community volunteer groups of Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 12 have been recognized as country’s development heroes in the recently concluded annual national Bayani Ka! Awards in Butuan City, an agency senior official said Friday.

KORONADAL CITY - Police Master Sergeant Jerry Frugalidad Feo of the Regional Mobile Force, Police Regional Office (PRO) - 12 was among the three police officers who were given recognition and honor as National Awardees for Police Gallantry during a ceremony marking the 53rd Founding Anniversary of National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) at the agency’s central office in EDSA, Quezon City on September 6, 2019.

LAMITAN CITY --- Residents here are optimistic of a fourth Seal of Good Local Governance citation for the city government from the office of Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.

The city government here received the SGLG awards in 2016, 2017 and 2018 owing to its efficiency in governance, in handling of state funds and in addressing domestic peace and security issues.

COTABATO CITY - As part of its strategy in strengthening male involvement and participation in Reproductive health advocacy, the Commission on Population and Development XII (PopCom 12) conducted a Training on Kalalakihang Tapat sa Responsibilidad at Obligasyon Sa Pamilya (KATROPA), last August 28-29, 2019 at POPCOM XII Conference Room, Cotabato City.

The two-day training was enthusiastically participated by 29 Men in Uniform, particularly from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Military personnel assigned in Cotabato City.

KORONADAL CITY – One citing party decisions and the other saying he could not challenge a good leader, two congressional aspirants for South Cotabato’s first district on Friday withdrew from the race.

The Commission on Elections will administer special polls on October 23 for the congressional seats for South Cotabato’s first district and Gen. Santos City long district.

BASILAN  - More than a thousand residents have benefited from the joint passport processing program of the office of Gov. Jim Salliman and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The provincial government, permitted by DFA on special arrangement, has been facilitating since early 2019 applications for passports by residents in 11 towns in Basilan and in its component cities, Lamitan and Isabela.

COTABATO CITY  — Using diplomatic yet tough stance, the head of Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOTC-BARMM) resolved leadership confusion of Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) in Tawi-Tawi.

“The confusion of leadership in this office has to stop,” MOTC Minister Dickson P. Hermoso told Marina officials in a meeting that resolved over three years of confusion as who is the real chief of Marina-Tawi-Tawi.

(Below is the statement of former Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Pinol posted on his FB accounts - ed)

Multi-Tasks!

Today, I took my oath to serve as the new Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), a Cabinet portfolio which carries the rank of Secretary.

This position has a fixed term of 6 years thus ensuring sustainability of all initiatives beyond the term of the incumbent President.

This new responsibility is a multi-task job to include Agriculture, Trade and Commerce, International Relations and even Security Concerns.

BASILAN --- The Provincial government and the National Housing Authority (NHA) launched Thursday a 473-unit socialized shelter project in Barangay Menzi in Isabela City.

The 473 houses, to be grouped together as the Al-Hidaya Subdivision Phase II, shall rise on an eight-hectare land in Barangay Menzi, not too distant from the center of Isabela City.

BASILAN --- The Anak Mindanao (AMIN) Party-list and the provincial government provided this week with standby power generator the district hospital in Lamitan City.

Lamitan City is the capital of Basilan, a component province of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The hospital is in need of the power generating set to keep medical services going during outages.