GOVERNANCE/POLITICS

COTABATO CITY - Schools and local government units of 1,000 barangays in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will initially benefit from the government’s Tech-for-Aid Centers program.

The BARMM’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) has entered into a working memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Wednesday with the Department of Information, Communication and Technology (DICT) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the establishment of Tech-for-Aid Centers for BARMM local government units (LGUs)  and school sites.

KORONADAL CITY  -- “If it is meant to be, it will be. I believed this lot is meant for PhilHealth.”

With these words Koronadal City Mayor Peter B. Miguel led the ground breaking ceremonies for the new building of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in the Soccsksargen region at the regional center here last week.

Miguel said the slot where the new PhilHealth edifice will rise was originally donated to Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) but was aborted.

MAGUINDANAO --- The most senior from among Maguindanao’s eight elected board members was sworn to office Wednesday by a barangay chairman in Datu Odin Sinsuat town.

The reelected Datu Bimbo Sinsuat from the first district of the province took his oath before Datu Abdulhakeem Sinsuat, chairman of Barangay Poblacion in Datu Odin Sinsuat.

Relatives said Thursday Sinsuat had long wanted his inaugural oath taking done simply, to be administered by a barangay official.

He is now in his second term as provincial board member.

BASILAN --- Ninety eight indigent couples participated in a mass wedding rite facilitated Monday by the local government unit of Lamitan City in this island province. 

The event was supported by local officials and barangay leaders from the more than 40 barangays in Lamitan City.

Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay said Tuesday the marriage licenses of the couples are free as “gift” from the local government unit.

Furigay’s office also provided cash gifts and wedding reception rites for her newly-wed constituents.

NORTH COTABATO ---Organizers are expecting hundreds of non-Moro indigenous people to attend Sunday’s assumption of the first ever North Cotabato governor from the lumad community

Members of the interim support staff core of incoming North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco said Tuesday all is set for her oath-taking on Sunday at the gymnasium in the provincial capitol in Barangay Amas in Kidapawan City.

MAGUINDANAO --- The civilian-led Bangsamoro regional police advisory council has pledged support to the security efforts of newcomer Police Brig. Gen. Marni Marcos in a dialogue Monday.

Marcos, who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1988, is the new director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM).

PRO-BARMM covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.

COTABATO CITY ---- A cleric in the Bangsamoro parliament has proposed the creation of a Madrasah education director-general’s office to standardize Islamic learning facilities and curb religious extremism.

Preacher Alzad Sattar, who earned a doctorate degree on Islamic theology abroad, said Saturday his proposal was co-authored by lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, also a member of the regional parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, or BARMM.

COTABATO CITY ---- There is a poor barangay chairman in Basilan, living in a house that five men can demolish in an hour, who is admired for his examples.

An Islamic theologian, Ustadz Abdulhalim Maranie Hatain, chairman of Barangay Linu-an in Al-Barka, Basilan never even thought he can defeat his rivals during the May 14, 2018 barangay elections due to lack of money for basic campaign expenditures.

Hatain refuses to talk to reporters about his charity works for his people in keeping with Islamic teachings on silence and ambiguity on charitable acts.

COTABATO CITY  – All the cities in the Soccsksargen region landed in the top 10 most competitive cities in Mindanao over-all in 2018, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today said.

Based on DTI’s 2018 Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index, Davao City was at first place followed by Cagayan de Oro City and Tagum in third place. 

At 4^th place is Cotabato City followed by Kidapawan City and Tacurong City at 6^th spot.

KORONADAL CITY  -- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña has assured former communist rebels that their decision to return to the fold of the law was wise and right because TESDA has programs for them.