ICC Dispatch - Friday, November 14, 2008

PGMA stresses interfaith dialogues to bring back broken relationships

ICC Iligan City, Nov. 14 – Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on the people of Lanao del Norte to promote and embrace the power of dialogue for peace so the country can move forward.

The President sounded the call when she visited, Nov. 14, her ancestral home in Sitio Timoga, Barangay Buruun, this city, even as she thanked the local leaders headed by City Mayor Lawrence Lluch Cruz for their efforts resulting in the Supreme Court’s decision to declare the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) illegal and unconstitutional.

Fresh from her trip to the United States where she addressed the UN General Assembly on the Promotion of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, the President arrived in the city amidst morning rains brought about by Tropical Depression “Tonyo.”

Stressing the need to adopt a new paradigm in the peace process, the President said in order for the country to move forward and before negotiations with any rebel group could take place, we must have authentic dialogues with the communities which could be facilitated through the conduct interfaith groups.

“Interfaith dialogue is very important for the people and the format we are going to adopt is the Bishop and Ulama Conference (BUC) which is a movement of Christian Bishops and the Muslim Ulamas organized to promote mutual understanding of faiths and religious for peace.

The different church leaders at the BUC preach love and peace and so far the result of their movement is good. “So, I am calling on its leaders and other third party organizations to provide inputs in our road map for peace under this new paradigm,” the President also said.

Meanwhile, the President, as the Commander-in-Chief, has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continue their law enforcement operations to capture the lawless MILF group (LMG) leader Bravo and his men.

The LMG should be made to answer for the atrocities they have committed last Aug. 18 in the towns of Kauswagan and Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte and so far, our government forces have made positive results by making sure the LMG will not be able to do the atrocities again, Pres. Arroyo added. (RCA/PIA10)


PGMA visits LDN, the 2nd time after the LMG Aug. 18 attack

ICC Iligan City, Nov. 14 – Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has paid homage, today, at the Macaraeg-Macapagal ancestral house in Barangay Buruun, Iligan City where she spent part of her childhood.

Located some 10 km. from the city proper going westward of Lanao del Norte, the President’s ancestral home sits beside the Timoga Cold Springs, one of the tourists spots frequented not only by domestic but also by foreign tourists.

The nearby springs has also become the favorite weekend treat not only of the city residents but also by those from the province to include the nearby cities of Marawi City and Cagayan de Oro City, as well, as those of Lanao del Sur and Misamis Oriental.

It was actually the second visit of the President in the province after the Aug. 18, 2008 attack of the lawless MILF group (LMG) led by Bravo in Kauswagan, some 20 km. from the city and in Kolambugan, some 30 km. further in the westward direction.

Such attack by the LMG resulted in the death of 42 people of whom 38 were civilians, three (3) were members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and one (1) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

There were also a total of 66 persons who were injured in the attack, 59 of whom were civilians while seven (7) others were members of the AFP and the PNP.

The attack which caused an estimated damaged of Php126.38 million also resulted in the displacement of some 36,604 families with 159,143 persons of which 12,195 families with 55,803 persons have remained in evacuation centers to be served by the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Last Sept. 18, the President was at the Advance Command Post (ACP) of the First Infantry Division (IID), Philippine Army in Ditucalan, this city, to boost the morale of the soldiers who conducted the law enforcement operations against the LMG. (RCA/PIA10)


Iligan City gets Php300M for its circumferential road project

ICC Iligan City, Nov 14 – The City Mayor of Iligan City lauded today President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for allocating Php300-million from the country’s 2009 annual budget for the implementation of the Iligan Circumferential Road project, next year.

We are thanking the President for giving Iligan City the biggest share to push forward the implementation of various infrastructure projects that will entirely facelift the new image of this city, Mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz said.

“For the first time in the history of Iligan City, we have earmarked the biggest budget allocated by the national government for the implementation of the super region mega projects in the area”, Cruz emphasized.

He said the people of Iligan are also proud that President Arroyo has visited this city for the fourth or fifth times already.

Cruz made this statement as he and Congressman Varf Belmonte met and welcomed President Arroyo during her arrival this morning at Macapagal Ancestral House this city. (RTD/PIA-Marawi)


Peace workers bond to consolidated efforts

ICC Cotabato City (14 November) — To widen constituencies in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the armed combatants-turned-peace and development advocates are establishing a ‘peace parliament’ to discuss of the communities in a wider venue.

“Through the peace parliament, we can discuss together the peace and development issues in our respective provinces and share our knowledge, experiences and lessons learned on peacebuilding,” said Kublai Elias, president of Tawi-Tawi Peace and Development Advocates (PDAs) League, during the recent meeting of peace advocates in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.

“Then we can help one another to address some of this concerns,” he said.

The PDAs, most of whom were combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front, are now voluntarily doing community organizing, resource mobilization and LGUs, civil society groups, and donor programs. They are working in conflict-affected or conflict-vulnerable areas that are declared as Peace and Development Communities.

The PDAs have organized themselves into a league or alliance in at least 15 provinces of Mindanao and become partners in peace and development efforts in each province.

In ARMM, the five leagues include the Kadtabanga Foundation for Peace and Development Advocates, Inc, (KFPDAI) in Maguindanao; Kalilintad Peace and Development Advocates Network Inc. (KPDNI) in Lanao del Sur; Kamahardikaan PDAL, Inc. in Basila; Lupah Sug Advocates for Peace and Development (LSAPDA) in Sulu; and the Tawi-Tawi PDAL, Inc. the PDALs in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi have been accredited into the provincial development councils.

After working for more 10 years in the communities following the signing of peace agreement between the Government and the MNLF, the PDALs saw the need to consolidate their efforts to make significant contribution in pursuing peace and development in Mindanao.

“Kung magkaisa kaming lahat ng PDALs, maging matibay kami bilang isang grupo sa ano mang gawin at maging mas malakas ang aming boses. May kasabihan kami sa community na kung itali and buhok, kaya nitong hilahin kahit barko (If all of us PDALs will be united, we’ll become strong as a group and we’ll have louder voice. As a community adage goes, when the strands of hair are tied together, it can even pull a ship),” Hji. Amer Sagusara, president of Kalilintad PDAL said.

“Mas madali kung magtutulungan at mapag-usapan ang mga isyu sa kanya-kanyang probinsya lalo na ang yong mga common issues (It’s easier to help one another and to discuss issues in each province, especially those common issues),” said Lominog Alawi of Kalilintad PDAL.

He added that peace workers always have to deal with challenges on the ground and it would be a great help if they would be in contact with other peacebuilders and learn form their experiences.

The PDALs are among the key partners of the GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme in helping the transformation of 251 Peace and Development Communities in Mindanao and Palawan. It has also supported the PDALs in strengthening their capacities to plan, implement, manage and monitor projects.

Currently, the Kadtabanga Foundation is implementing Level 2 water system projects amounting to P4.4 million in two communities in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Shariff Kabunsuan while the LSAPDI is supervising the installation of a Level 2 water system that will serve four barangays in Maimbung Sulu amounting to P4.6 million. (Act for Peace Programme/PIA 12)


Evacuees engage in communal cooking

ICC Cotabato City (14 November) - Evacuees who currently occupy bunkhouses provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) will now be engaging in communal cooking as the agency launches its “Community Kitchen” program.

“The program is intended to let these evacuees make the most of what little food they have as well as forge stronger community ties,” says DSWD-ARMM Sec. Sorayda Biruar.

A bunkhouse is divided into 32 sections with each section occupied by a single family. Under the community kitchen program, the families occupying a particular bunkhouse will prepare their meals together. The DSWD-ARMM will provide a subsidy of P100 per day for every family for a period of one week.

The agency believes that communal activities will ease the burden and trauma of the ongoing war to internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Elsie Amil, provincial director of DSWD-Maguindanao, said they “hope to help displaced individuals endure the war” through these interventions.

The program has been officially introduced November 11, 2008 in bunkhouses located in different evacuation areas in the towns of Maguindanao.

A total of 25 bunkhouses – 10 in Datu Piang, 4 in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, 3 in Mamasapano, 2 in Shariff Aguak, 2 in Guindulungan, 2 in Talayan and two in Datu Anggal- have been put up by the agency to try to accommodate evacuees who have been forced to occupy classrooms.

Classes have been indefinitely cancelled in some schools that served as evacuation centers when the ongoing conflict erupted about three months ago. “We hope classes can resume now that the evacuees have been transferred to these bunkhouses,” Biruar said. (bpi-armm/PIA12)


Consultation on house bills Nos. 1623 and 2078 held in Sarangani

ICC General Santos City (14 November) - South Cotabato Rep. Arthur Pingoy led a consultative meeting on House Bills No.1623 or "An Act Providing for the Modernization of the Health Care System" and 2078 or "Health Care Delivery Rationalization Act" before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Sarangani Province on Thursday (Nov. 13).

The bill, Pingoy said seeks to enhance people’s opportunity particularly indigents avail of complete and modernized health care delivery package despite their social status, which can be achieved by improving the health care system in the country.

Pingoy was with North Cotabato Rep. Bernardo Pinol and other government personalities during the conduct of consultation at SP Session Hall at Sarangani provincial capitol.

Explaining his local health services, Governor Migs Dominguez, told lawmakers that his province has made concrete “health services innovations in order to bring timely, efficient and quality health care especially to Sarangani indigents.”

Sarangani leaders welcomed the house bills as fresh developments in the country’s health care system and expressed the hope that these would be approved soon.

Meanwhile, in a bid to dovetail with the Department of Health’s call to strengthen local initiative on health management and prevention of deadly virus and infectious disease, the local government of General Santos City is beefing up its prevention campaign against their spread in the city.

City Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. said he is strengthening local government’s health-related measure to include committee membership of other key agencies to ensure smooth implementation on the ground.

The measure, the mayor was referring to is Article V, Section 18 of Ordinance No. 01 series of 2008, entitled “An Ordinance Promulgating Policies and Measures for the Prevention and Control of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).”

In a signed Executive Order No. 041 implementing Article V, Sec. 18, Acharon said he saw “the urgent need to immediately arrest or prevent the occurrences of STI, HIV and AIDS cases in General Santos City.” He didn’t mention, however, the extent of coverage the diseases caused to the city.

But he assured that his government shall do its best to control as necessary such diseases from occurring and thus infecting more his constituencies.

As mechanism, the mayor has formed a committee tasked to enforce the policies embodied by the ordinance and oversee the city government’s disease prevention and control program.

The committee members include among others the City Health Officer; Sangguniang Panlungsod-committee chair on health, the city social welfare and development officer; the senior superintendent of Dept. of Education; the head of Dept. of Health, the head of city hospital; the accredited GenSan-based health/medical organizations; and other national line agencies and non-governmental organizations.

The ordinance was “promulgated to prevent the spread of this deadly virus in the city,” Acharon, who is also the committee chairperson, stated. (PIA SarGen)


Enrolment of 500 Sarangani indigent families to PhilHealth sealed in MOA

ICC General Santos City (14 November) - The state-run health insurance PhilHealth recently inked a Tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Province of Sarangani and Brgy. Poblacion, Municipality of Glan at the Provincial Capitol signaling the final negotiation and enrolment of 500 indigent families of said town.

“This MOA Signing is a testament of our utmost desire to enroll more and more people to the Indigent Program, particularly from the Municipality of Glan and other municipalities of Sarangani Province,” said PhilHealth XII Assistant Vice-President Ramon F. Aristoza Jr.

Aristoza added that it is thru the initiative of town chieftain Dr. Vivien Yap that the people of Glan will soon realize that the poorest of the poor can avail of basic health services that PhilHealth offers to the Filipino citizens, particularly in the Municipality of Glan.

“I know that our poor brothers really need assistance in terms of medical aspect. We would try our best that all those who are listed right now will be renewed next year,” Yap said.

“The ID Distribution set on February 14, 2009 will give indigent families of Brgy. Poblacion two reasons to be happy: they will receive their LOVE GIFT from their local chief executives and celebrate a meaningful heart’s day with their loved ones having free Family Heath Cards bearing accessible, affordable, quality health care from PhilHealth,” said Dr. Miriam Grace G. Pamonag, Field Operations Division chief of PhilHealth XII.

Present also during the activity were Nol Valila, Chief Social Insurance Officer and Ma. Emilia Facelo, Social Insurance Officer III of PhilHealth General Santos Service Office, Fred Basino, Provincial Administrator (representing Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez), Cornelia Baldelobar, PHO personnel and Dr. Jose Tranquilino Ruiz with seven other barangay kagawads as witnesses. (amor sequito/PIA SarGen)