Thousands of Zamboangueños march for peace

text & photos HADER GLANG

Pupils carry placards with anti war markings during the walk for peace as part of the celebrations of "Week of Peace."

Thousands of Zamboangueños took to the streets on Wednesday to celebrate the Week of Peace, which aims to raise consciousness for a culture of peace among the peoples of Mindanao.

Peace Advocates of Zamboanga (PAZ), the organizers of the yearly celebration, have given more emphasis on environmental issues with the theme "In the Name of the Almighty, God of Harmony, Care for the Earth!"

Around 20,000 people including concerned government agencies and instrumentalities and members of the private sector and civil society marched from Pettit Barrack to the Joaquin F. Enriquez Sports Complex.

Some students carried banners and placards with "No for war and yes for peace fight! For freedom!!! And "Make peace not war for the love of the world" slogans. Others performed street dance.

"The Subanun people can never accept the undergoing environmental destruction of our forest by indiscriminate logging and the destruction of our ancestral domain. We also renounce war," said 48-year old Subanun tribal leader.

Father Angel Calvo, PAZ president, said they have seen the people in Mindanao are more conscious now of the peace advocacy than ever, trying to incorporate the element of peace in their society.

"The peace advocacy we're seeing is getting more and more…people from all walks of life are taking center stage and participating with enthusiasm as never before in the history of Mindanao," Calvo said.

But he cautioned the people that unless they build a strong civil society that is able to withstand or counteract conflict through peaceful solution they would never attend lasting peace in their community.

A statement from indigenous group in support to peaceful means of resolving the conflict in Mindanao read that, "We can never believe that a lasting peace could be attained by means of guns and bullets."

"There is really an urgent need for a new approach in dealing with the insurgency and other disgruntled armed groups in Mindanao rather that pursuing the policy of all out war against those armed groups."

In North Cotabato, the peace and development communities (PDCs) have conducted a contest on the search for the most peaceful camp.

In Cagayan de Oro City, a walk for peace was also held while in other key cities and provinces in Mindanao have conducted symposiums on peace and environmental issues and sportsfest among Muslim and Christian religious sector as well as an interfaith prayer vigil.

The Mindanao Week of Peace is celebrated each year from the last Thursday of November to the first Wednesday of December. It is a comprehensive promotional activity that involves various GOs, NGOs, and PO's in advocating the culture of peace in the Southern Philippines.

PAZ and SALAM Foundation initiated it in Zamboanga City in 1997. It has snowballed into a Mindanao-wide event as adopted by the Bishops-Ulama Conference and perpetuated as an annual observance through Presidential Proclamation 127, S. 2001.

Muslim leaders hail Senate Bill declaring Sheik Makhdum mosque in Tawi-Tawi as national shrine

text HADER GLANGThis is the first and oldest mosque in the Philippines constructed in Tawi-Tawi by then Sheik Karimul Makhdum, an Arabian missionary from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in A.D. 1380.

Muslim leaders in Mindanao hailed the Senate’s declaration of the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque in Tawi-Tawi as a national shrine, saying it is a milestone in the Philippine history.

The Senate on Friday approved on third and final reading a bill authored by Senator Edgardo Angara declaring the Philippines’ oldest mosque in recognition to the contribution of Islam in the development of culture and civilization in the country.

"This will symbolize as a great honor to the Islam faith,” said Sultan of Sulu and North Borneo, Sharif Ibrahim Ajibul Mohammad Pulalun. "We are overjoyed by the recognition being given to the contribution of the Islamic faith to the country's history.”

History tells that the six centuries-old mosque in Tubig Indangan, Simunul, considered as the oldest structure and first mosque in the Philippines, was constructed by an Arabian missionary, scholar and judge, Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, in AD 1380.

The Sheikh set foot in the island of Tubig Indangan 615 years ago, 140 years before the arrival of Magellan (the Spaniard who discovered the Philippines) in the Philippines. He introduced the first Islamic civilization in the country.

The mosque is held with great esteem and emulation by the Muslims and even non-muslims and is considered sacred. Domestic and foreign tourists frequently visit the mosque to pay respect and homage to the shrine.

The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) through its Legislative Assembly has already passed a law declaring the inclusion of the Sheikh Makhdum centennial celebration as one of the Islamic events entitled to a special non-working holiday within the five provinces under the ARMM.

House deputy speaker for Mindanao Abdulgani “Gerry” Salapuddin said the declaration of Sheik Macdum mosque is a great honor and recognition to the Filipino Muslims, particularly to the people of Tawi-Tawi.

“It is only appropriate that the Congress of the Philippines have given this recognition. As a Muslim I feel honored about this but I really don’t know if there is a counterpart bill from
the House…if there is none...I’m willing to be one of the sponsors,” Salapuddin added.

Earlier, Sultan Pulalun appealed to Senator Angara that the mosque in Likup village in Indanan town in Jolo, Sulu be declared also as a national shrine being the country’s second oldest mosque and because events of historical importance took place at the mosque.

AKBAYAN calls for public debate on platforms of governance of Zamboanga political rivals
text HADER GLANG

A party-list organization has called on political rivals in the city to hold a public debate on their respective platforms of governance following the proliferation of alleged sex video of former priest Crisanto “Monsi” dela Cruz.

The video showed two men having oral sex, but Dela Cruz, a staunch supporter of President Arroyo and standard bearer of the united opposition in the city for next year’s elections against incumbent Mayor Celso Lobregat, denied he was the man in the video.

“We would like to appeal to all candidates in our city not to allow local politics to degenerate into something that is abominable,” said AKBAYAN Island Rep. for Mindanao Edgar Araujo.

Araujo, also a political professor of Western Mindanao State University, hopes that the media and other concerned organizations would help the population understand what to be done in the city, especially this coming elections.

He said the voters should support an election that will be decided on the basis of the candidates’ vision for the city and not on the basis of below the built tactics or mudslinging that insult their senses.

As taxpayers, he emphasized, they deserve better politics and better leadership for this city, saying that for the past several years, they have seen the city transforming itself into a violent city, sinister city, and a city of intrigue.

“Let’s invite all these candidates to a forum and allow them to debate themselves who can present the better platforms. They should focus the campaign on issues, rather than on dirty tricks,” he said.

Asked his view on a purported de la Cruz’s sex video, Araujo replied: “What a private person does in his own private time is not my concern, but what concerns me is what public officials do using public money during both their private and public moments."

Multi-sectoral groups, youth and religious leaders have endorsed the call for a debate among administration and opposition candidates in the city on their respective platforms of governance.

Mindanao solon asks probe on guns proliferation in Basilan

House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Gerry Salapuddin has asked the Lower House and other concerned government agencies to look into the alleged proliferation and acquisition of illegal firearms by politicians in the island province of Basilan.

Salapuddin raised the issue, saying that this was how the election fever has been manifested in his province – with heavy armaments being used for warfare and the maintenance of private of illegal firearms by politicians.

“Politically-related killings have escalated in Basilan,” he said. “It took much time and efforts to rid my province the image of Abu Sayyaf. Sadly, now the threats come from the politicians.”

The Basilan congressman said the acquisition and proliferation of firearms was supposedly intended to maintain peace or for security or defensive measures.

“Unfortunately, unscrupulous politicians have been planning to use the firearms to guarantee victory at the polls through the use of violence and intimidation,” Salapuddin said.

According to Salapuddin, the unscrupulous politicians are unmindful that they will disenfranchise the voters who, as citizens of the country, are the very particles of popular sovereignty and ultimate source of established authority.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Salapuddin called on the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to immediately look into the situation in his province.

He also asked the agencies to implement a program to contain the proliferation of illegal firearms and armed groups, and to ensure that election laws would be enforced.

Salapuddin likewise directed the committees on national defense, local government, and suffrage and electoral reform to conduct a joint congressional inquiry and come up with appropriate remedial measures.

“I believe that the matter, if not addressed, will again tarnish the forthcoming conduct of elections,” the lawmaker added.

Ambassadors of 6 Nations Visit Zamboanga and Basilan; Focus on Programs for Peace and Prosperity

(Joint Press Release by the Embassies of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States of America)

In a unique event demonstrating international support for peace and prosperity in Mindanao, six Ambassadors visited Zamboanga and Basilan on November 13: Ambassador Tony Hely of Australia, Ambassador Peter Sutherland of Canada, Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki of Japan, Ambassador David Pine of New Zealand, Ambassador Peter Beckingham of the United Kingdom, and Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney of the United States of America. Also traveling with the party was Undersecretary Nabil Tan of the Philippine’s Office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process.

These six countries all support myriad development projects in Mindanao, focusing on education and job skills training, small business development, local governance, improved healthcare, agricultural sustainability, poverty alleviation, peace building, and counter-terrorism. They coordinate their efforts with one another and with the national and local governments in the Philippines. During their visit, the Ambassadors discussed greater coordination and synergy among their various programs, which will help them more effectively benefit citizens of Mindanao and the Philippines.

The Ambassadors visited Armed Forces of the Philippines WESTMINCOM Commander Major General Cedo for a briefing on security activities; met with Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat to talk about partnership programs in development; and talked with members of the Basilan Chamber of Commerce about improving economic prospects on the island. Pictured above are the six Ambassadors with Basilan government and business leaders at Jollibee Restaurant in Isabela City, including Mayor Rodolfo Tan (far left) and Governor Abdulwahab Akbar (5th from left).

They also participated in an official turnover ceremony of computers and Internet connections to the Islamic Institute of the Philippines in Zamboanga City under USAID’s Computer Literacy and Internet Connection (CLIC) program. In Lamitan, Basilan, they attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a community learning center donated by the Australian Government under AUSAID’s Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) program and celebrated a Canadian Government computer equipment handover under CIDA’s Local Governance Support Program for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (LGSPA).

ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan Delivers 2nd State of the Region Address

ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan delivered his second State of the Region Address (SORA) before the members of the 5th Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA) at the start of their session on November 13, Monday at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, ARMM Compound in Cotabato City.

During the SORA, Regional Governor Ampatuan report on the efforts his administration had made for the past one year.

He is also expected to lay down his priority programs and thrusts for the next two (2) years and submit to RLA his proposed measures.

Foreign diplomats including envoys from member-countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), foreign donor nations, congressmen, provincial governors and mayors and other leaders have been invited to hear him deliver his SORA.

Ampatuan reported to the Assembly the efforts made by his administration on his five priority programs – on peace, public order and security, development administration and good governance, economic, infrastructure and social services development.

The regional governor stressed the importance of the full support and cooperation given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) the leadership of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the good people of the ARMM.

“We have maintained an environment of peace and stability in the region compared to some areas in Mindanao,” he said.

He said he is re-affirming his commitment and support to the resumption and up to the conclusion of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the MILF.

The governor believes that the next generation deserves peace and the time to have peace is now. For this reason, he is joining the fervent prayers and appeal of Mindanaoans to the government and to the MILF leadership to return\n to the negotiating table.

The regional governor said that records show that crime incidence in the region has decreased from 462 in 2005 to 311 this year.

With the good reform we are instituting in the ARMM, Ampatuan said that Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has extended more assistance to the region for us to realize our plans and programs for our people.

The assistance from the president include P500 million development fund to financed various infrastructure projects; P190 million, which the region used as financial assistance to our teachers who did\n not receive their salaries for the month of September 2005 and P166 million for water system under the President’s priority program.

To address the issue on transparency, Ampatuan said that his leadership adopted a policy of transparency and accountability that have brought good results to the ARMM. A policy requiring all agencies to remit to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) on a monthly basis all GSIS shares and premiums of the employees."

“We have maintained an environment of peace and stability in the region compared to some areas in Mindanao,” he said.

The regional governor will also report to the RLA Speaker that the region was able to generate a total collection of P487 million from January to September 2006 this is due to a better cooperation built between the ARMM and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

The regional economy according to the Regional Governor is sound and healthy. Our rice and corn program continued to yield higher production including the livestock and fishery program reached better results.

The seaweed industry in the region is gaining great production and expansion which netted 503,002 metric tons in 2005 and it generates income and revenues to our people in the region.

As of June 2006 the investment in the region had grown to about 12% registering an investment of P288million compared to P254 million in 2005.

The industry sector showed about 3% increase in employment from 3, 282 jobs generated in June 2005 to 3,394 in June 2006. The agriculture sector posted 21,959 jobs for 2006.

With the launching of the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. last October 16, 2006 in Manila, ARMM is now ready to accept investment proposals on the Halal Industry.

The region has also made important improvements in social services and development with decisive gains in the field of education, child and maternal care, health services, job generation and other human development issues.

In addition to the intensified efforts of concerned line agencies, Ampatuan likewise cited the noteworthy contributions of several funding institutions that have projects in the region such as the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) and the Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS), which support Madaris and community-based education in critical areas in the ARMM, and the UNICEF for their Country Program for Children VI and support to the Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD) program.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has allotted 40 scholarships to qualified students in the ARMM for school year 2006-2007.

Some projects were also undertaken to improve the region’s labor resource with 144 skills training carried out by TESDA benefiting 3, 320 workforce. The DOLE on the other hand conducted a job fair to facilitate job seekers land potential jobs both locally and abroad.

Ampatuan mentioned the important steps that are being taken by the region to improve health services. Foremost of which is the development of vital health facilities in key areas in the region, the allotment of P20 million for the enrolment of indigent constituents to PhilHealth and the adoption of the ARMM Strategy for Health Improvement (ASHI) and the guidelines on contraceptive self-reliance.

Further, trade and commerce in the region is expected to get a bolster with the completion of vital infrastructures in strategic areas. A total of 38 bridges under the Tulay ng Pangulo sa SZOPAD are either 100% completed or under final phase of construction.

There were also massive implementation of 629 projects categorized as regional, provincial and district impact projects.

The Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE), a project funded by the USAID and other donor institutions, currently caters to the electrification needs of 190 barangays in the ARMM.

Ampatuan said that ARMM continues to move forward. Although in a slow pace, the gains being made definitive. “We will have a long way to go. We still have a lot to accomplish, and as your regional governor, I am confident that we will be able to reshape the region into its better form.” (BPI-ARMM)

Plight of Lake Lanao Highlighted
text SAMIRA GUTOC

Marawi City – Amidst the sounds of gongs and kulintangs, more than 200 representatives of academe, local governments of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City, the National Power Corporation, the Sultanates, Ulama League of the Philippines, government agencies, military and people’s organizations joined the Philippine Muslim Women Council (PMWC), a national NGO, in a dramatic signing of a “Covenant to Conserve and Protect Lake Lanao, the second largest freshwater lake in the Philippines and one of the 5 oldest in the world.”

US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, in her first visit to Marawi, also joined the women and youths in “standing up to protect the environment” in her keynote speech rendered at Marawi Resort Hotel during the Conference-Workshop on Environmental Conservation with the theme, “Stewards of Mother Nature, Stand Up to Protect Lake Lanao.”

Lanao del Sur Governor Aleem Bashier Manalao in his speech said the presence of the US Ambassador in the “summer capital of the South will help us in preserving the rich natural resources we have for our people and the whole of Mindanao.”

“We take pride in showing to you the beauty of our province endowed with the panoramic beauty of the place, its fertile soil, cool climate and the source of power for Mindanao, the enchanting Lake Lanao with the Sleeping Lady serving as backdrop.”

Sectoral leaders gave their pledges to conserve Lake Lanao. The president of the 16 Royal Sultanates of Lanao, Mayor Topaan Disomimba, said “losing the great Lanao Lake is losing as well the idiosyncratic identity of the Maranaws, the people of the Lake.”

Others who gave pledges were Dr. Aleem Mahid Mutilan, President of the Ulama League of the Philippines, Vice-President Dr. Pasayud Macarambon’s representative of the National Power Corporation, General Manager Baliamen Mamainte of the Lanao Sur Electric Cooperative, Col. Ramiro Alivio of the 1st Marine Brigade, the Department of Education-Marawi City representative and Ambassador Abulkhayr Alonto, founding Vice-Chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front.

PMWC President Omera Dianalan-Lucman, who was former Undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development said that PMWC was building alliances and partnerships with all stakeholders to protect and develop Lake Lanao.

“We aim to create a critical mass with political will out of the participants of this conference.”Supported by the United States Agency for International Development through the ECOGOV, the conference-workshop aimed to convene stakeholders and raise awareness on the need to promote solid waste management and advocate the implementation of the Lake Lanao Development Authority.

The organizer, PMWC, while acknowledging other movements such as Save Lake Lanao Movement (SALAM) and Ranao Claims Against the Power Plants (RCAPP) that have internationalized the environmental degradation of Lake Lanao, hopes to collaborate on programs to conserve and develop the Lake for the future generations of lake dwellers, the Maranaos.

Last October 2, the Diliman-based Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued an advisory discouraging residents from “using affected water for cooking and drinking.”

This is due to the discoloration attributed to the presence of cyanobacteria that can cause diseases ranging from liver damage, paralysis or even death, based on the report of BFAR-Region 10, Cagayan de Oro City, confirmed by MSU-Naawan.

PMWC attributed the degradation of Lake Lanao to “human and industrial waste and non-compliance of environmental compliance certificate by the DENR.”

Lake Lanao specialist Pipalawan Naga of SALAM said there used to be 40 endemic species in the Lake before the installation of the National Power Corporation (NPC) in the Agus rivers around the lake, but the hydroelectric power plants have affected the water level of the lake.

Naga said the aquatic biodiversity is threatened due to previous government interventions of introducing predatory species which destroyed the 18 endemic species in the lake.Workshop outputs on the causes of environmental degradation of Lake Lanao included concern for illegal logging causing deforestation, use of fertilizers causing water pollution, ignorance of the people on environmental laws, construction of regulatory dams and lack of sewerage system.

The participants recommended stronger political will by local government units to enforce and monitor environmental laws such as compliance with the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the DENR, environmental education/ information drive to raise awareness on solid waste management and watershed reforestation and people’s participation