Muslim Filipino executive says BBL a transformative mechanism for peace and development

TAGAYTAY CITY (PNA) -- Sailila E. Abdula, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) branch manager based in Midsayap City, North Cotabao, on Friday expressed optimism for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as a transformative mechanism for peace and development in the Muslim Mindanao areas.In an interview with the Philippines News Agency (PNA) Friday (Feb. 20), Sai, as he is fondly called, works with fellow government workers in the 100-labor force Philrice institution serving Central Mindanao, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos (SOCSKSARGEN) and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).The Muslim Filipino junior executive said that of the 100 employees in the Philrice institution of agricultural experts, scientists, farmers and laborers, about 20 percent are Muslim Filipinos.He believes it is high time for government executives to realize the aspirations of the Muslim residents in Mindanao to attain just and lasting peace through autonomy within the sphere of the Constitution.Sai said he was tapped as consultant for the BBL but turned it down for now as he joined 39 other junior executives like him in the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) full government scholarship under the Public Management Development Program (PMDP) – Middle Managers Class Batch 8 which kicked off Friday in this city.The Philrice branch manager also opined government programs in providing Muslim government executives scholarships and study grants so they can be exposed and undergo experiential learning in the development process of First-World and developed countries because development is a process, a stage.”The PMDP is program-based and integrated professional development program for public managers in the third level of the bureaucracy.The program is seen as a clear direction towards professionalizing the bureaucracy by producing a corps of development-oriented, competent, dedicated and honest government executives.Officials here said the premiere government training hub launched the PMDP in May 2012 following President Benigno S. Aquino III’s commitment and social contract to the Filipino people to ‘lift the nation from poverty through honest and effective governance’ and to ‘transform the government from one that is self-serving to one that works for the welfare of the nation.”The executive training course program is a leadership initiative under the 6th Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 and since produced some 109 scholars.An inter-agency steering committee composed of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Career Executive Service Board (CESB), Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Finance (DOF) oversees the scholarship training program for government executives. (PNA)LAM/SEP/RSM