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)