IMAGE OF THE DAY

ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan (2nd from right) leads the hoisting of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Athletic Association (ARMMAA) flag during the opening of the 2007 Palarong ARMMAA at the Mamasapano Sports Complex, Mamasapano, Maguindanao assisting him are ARMM Executive Secretary Oscar Sampulna (rightmost), ARMM First Lady Hja. Bai Johaira "Bong-Bong" Ampatuan and Datu Saudi Mayor Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Jr. (leftmost). (BPI-ARMM)

Ex-president of lawyers group rebuts anti-Zamboanga Hermosa province

Lawyer Giovani John Luistro, Nuevo Zamboanga Movement council aspirant for District 1, has rebutted the comments of Councilor Juan Elago that proposal for the creation of Zamboanga Hermosa will only "disunite" the city.

"No! It will even involve more Zamboanguenos in the management of this city. Just like as a sole proprietorship is not good for a supermarket operation, the city is not also good for a sole proprietorship," Luistro told reporters.

In a recent news article, Elago described the proposed Zamboanga Hermosa province of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines ZamBaSulTa Chapter as a politically colored resolution and he asked the IBP to drop and leave the issue to the politicians.

"I beg to disagree with his assertion. I'd like to remind him that the IBP is also task with serving the community taking the lead in issues in the community," said Luistro, also former IBP president.

Luistro said he was surprised that the councilor, who is also a member of the IBP, went directly to the press and accused the present leadership of the IBP of making the proposal a political without having the courtesy of asking them.

"This is the very same thing that another lawyer did about a year ago when he asked the IBP leadership to withdraw the proposal when he did not even come to us personally and furnish us the copy of his letter," he said, referring to lawyer Luna, another member of IBP, who is also opposed to the proposal.

"So who is doing the political stand now? He (Elago) has to respect proper procedure," he said. "This particular proposal of the IBP for the creation of Zamboanga Hermosa Province is more than just a political thing it is the future of Zamboanguenos."

Under the IBP proposal, the center of Zamboanga City will remain as a city and to convert seven of this city's 98 barangays into municipalities to hasten progress and development in the countryside.

The 37 of this city's 98 barangays will remain under Zamboanga City while the 61 others will comprised the seven proposed municipalities. The proposed barangays that will be converted into municipalities are Curuan, Vitali, Sangali, Culianan, and Landang Gua in Sacol island, all located in this city's east coast. The other two proposed municipalities are Ayala and Talisayan in the east coast.

Luistro likens the proposed Zamboanga Hermosa province to sari-sari store, where its operation by sole proprietorship is good to a certain level but when its operation starts to grow it is already advisable for it to ship to a corporate operation.

"The city is like that…we have been ran like a sari-sari store by a sole proprietorship for a long time. Why do I say that? For 700,000 populations, we only have one chief executive, the mayor. The city is no longer good for small operations. We need more executives and managers."

"So the proposal instead of dividing Zamboanga City it would bring the city and its people closer to each other. It does not disunite Zamboanga City because no less than the Constitution also provides that for every group of cities and municipalities who want to remain together can also create by law a metropolitan set up. Much like what we have in Cebu and Metro Manila."

He cited Cebu, which is not just one city but surrounded by five other cities like Talisay, Danao, Mandawi, Lapu-Lapu and these are cities that are not part of Cebu City. These cities and several municipalities are part of Cebu Province, who are united Metro Cebu Coordinating Council.

"That is one option available to Zamboanga City. Just because we create a new province out of the outlying barangays to promote better management of these areas that does mean that we have to be divided," Luistro stressed.

"We can still be together to the metropolitan setup by creating Metro Zamboanga Coordinating Council, whereby the delivery of basic services and governance can still be met and coordination and unity among the old Zamboanguenos will still be retain."

The City has a land area of 1,474 square kilometer which is a big place for a local government unit to administer and manage. All the territorial jurisdictions of the 14 cities in Metro Manila summing up all together will not even be half the size of Zamboanga. It is more than two times bigger than Singapore and more than 400 square kilometers larger than Hong Kong, which are the most progressive and ultra modern countries in Asia. (HG)

Joint Military Exercise "Balikatan 2007" Closes with Inauguration of Humanitarian Projects on Jolo

A paved road built by U.S. and Filipino soldiers on Jolo Island during Balikatan 2007 will allow local residents to travel easily from their village to the island’s largest municipality year round.

U.S. Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney joined Secretary Jess Dureza, Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process in Mindanao, and Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to officially declare the road open in a March 3 ceremony in the town of Bato Bato on Jolo Island. The four-kilometer road improvement project was carried out during the annual joint Philippines-U.S. military exercise Balikatan 2007.

Local citizens travel the former dirt road to the city almost every day to sell crafts, buy food, and trade goods to support their families. But during three months out of the year, heavy rains cause erosion and ruts on the dirt road, making travel nearly impossible for vehicles. But the soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marines fixed the road as part of the Balikatan 2007 exercises, which focused primarily on humanitarian projects in Mindanao.

Aside from the road improvement project, the two militaries worked with local governments and partners to hold 12 free medical clinics in Mindanao that treated more than 6,000 residents; provided free dental care and veterinary care; built and renovated schools, a day care center, and a health clinic; and repaired a boat ramp and pier.

The two militaries also completed a combined task force staff exercise that emphasized crisis action planning in a maritime security scenario, which will help the two countries learn to work together in addressing real-world challenges such as terrorist transit routes, piracy, drug smuggling, and critical infrastructure protection.

The annual Exercise Balikatan is structured to further develop the two countries’ crisis action planning, enhance ability to effectively conduct humanitarian assistance operations, and promote interoperability between participating countries. (PRESS RELEASE)

Zamboanga City reaches alarming level in tuberculosis

The tuberculosis (TB) disease has reached alarming level in Zamboanga City with increasing number of cases, the Department of Health's Center For Health Development Office here said.

Over 1,000 people in the city have fallen prey to tuberculosis every year and out of the 98 barangays, seven of them are with high incidence of the disease, DOH Regional Director Aristides Tan said.

Tan identified Talon-Talon and Recodo as the two most among seven barangays with highest incidence of reported TB cases.

"The prevalence of the disease remains high in the said barangays. So it's alarming," he said without elaborating on the number of mortality or deaths.

But based on the World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that 75 Filipinos are dying everyday in the Philippines making the country No. 8 among the 22 countries with the highest TB burden.

Although the disease is curable, it's the sixth leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country. In 2000, the tuberculosis killed 25,000 Filipinos, many of them in the prime of life. One TB patient infects 10-20 persons a year.

That is why, the launching of Social Mobilization on Tuberculosis (SMT) Project in the city was very important, according to Mayor Celso Lobregat.

"Tuberculosis has affected so much of the world's population and it needs a concerted effort from all sectors especially right here in Zamboanga City," the mayor added.

Health officials said they have began first with the two pilot sites (Talon-Talon and Recodo), then after six months to one year they'll expand to other villages.

"Our main purpose here is to create a support group in the community who can help people infected with this disease," Tan added.

Marlon Villanueva, project coordinator of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria (GFATM), said World Vision is covering 10 cities for a 5-year SMT project.

"The budget for this project is $4.6 million US dollars," Villanueva said.

He said the SMT projects are concentrated in the cities of Zamboanga, General Santos, Caloocan, Paranaque, San Pablo, Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo and Davao that will end in 2011.

GFATM is one of the principal sources of financing for global TB control efforts. It is a grant-making organization based in Geneva, Switzerland created in January 2002 that aims to dramatically increase resources available to fight the disease in the world. (HG)

Japan invites top ARMM execs for study visit on Malaysia's Halal industry

In support to the halal industry development thrust of the ARMM Regional Government, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-Malaysia has extended an invitation to some key officials of the region to participate in a study visit on Halal Certification Process and Halal Industry Development from 5th to 9th of March 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The main purpose of the visit is to enable participants to take a close observation of Malaysia’s halal industry, particularly study its stringent halal certification process with the help of JAKIM. It can be recalled that as a result of Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan’s visit to the Malaysian State of Malacca, JAKIM , Malaysia’s halal certifying body, agreed to extend technical aid to the region’s halal industry development.

The establishment of a vibrant halal industry is one of the major thrusts being pushed by the Ampatuan administration to help jumpstart sound economic growth and social development in the region. Governor Ampatuan said in his first state of the region address that “the ARMM will take a lead role in the growth of halal food industry in the region, considering its huge potential markets in the East Asian Growth Area region and elsewhere.”

The national government is likewise supportive of this endeavor. The vision of making ARMM as the halal-based food production and processing center of the country is included in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan 2004-2010. This move is in line with the effort to establish Mindanao as the Philippine’s prime agri-fishery export zone.

Among those slated to participate in the study visit are DTI-ARMM Asst. Sec. Engr. Marites Maguindra, Dr. Abubacar Datumanong, Engr. Mlang Madal, DAF-ARMM Director for Special Concern Iskak Paguital and Ustaz Esmal Ebrahim of the Darul-Ifta. A delegation from the recently created Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board (MMHCB) will also be joining the group in the visit.

“We are very optimistic that the study visit will have definitive contributions in so far as the development of our halal industry is concerned,” said Regional Governor Ampatuan. (BPI-ARMM)

Probe into Muslim boy’s slay sought in Sulu

A Muslim women peace group wants concerned authorities to investigate the killing of a 14-year old Muslim boy in Indanan, Sulu last month allegedly by Scout Ranger.

The Muslim Women Peace Advocates-Sulu Council (MWPA-SC) asked authorities an investigation into the slaying of Hakim Abbilul of Barangay Tagbak on February 19, 2007.

The boy was returning home after watching a television program around 10:00 p.m. when gunned down at Kasambuhan village, said Mercia Alli, MWPA-Sulu Council secretary general.

The victim’s companion was also wounded within the vicinity of Kasambuhan, a recognized Peace and Development Community (PDC) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

However, Alli said information gathered from both the community and the military sources revealed conflicting reports.

“In the interest of justice and in line with the objective of the MWPA Sulu council to prevent escalation of conflicts, we appeal to the authorities concerned to demand an investigation,” she said.

Last Feb. 25, thirty-three women leaders representing the MWPA municipal councils of Indanan and Jolo and the MWPA provincial council met at Alat, Jolo and passed a resolution demanding for probe into the reported murder.

Copies of the resolution were furnished to CHR, the Army’s 104th Brigade, ARMM Governor, District 1 Congressman, Sulu Governor, Indanan Mayor, PNP Director, DILG-ARMM/Manila, AFP Chief of Staff, and OPAPP.

The MWPA of Sulu is a group of women from the different ends of the conflict spectrum such as the MNLF, MILF, the Abu Sayyaf, widows of soldiers and protagonists including social workers asserting the right of Muslim women to actively participate in peace building.

It aims to contribute to the resolution of the perennial conflicts in Mindanao by enhancing the capacity of the affected women as human rights and peace advocates and change agents. (HG)