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Regional Governor's 2nd SORA2nd STATE OF THE REGION ADDRESS OF DATU ZALDY UY AMPATUAN REGIONAL GOVERNOR 13 November 2006 Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex
BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHEEM…
THE HONORABLE SPEAKER PAISALIN P. TAGO AND OTHER HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE 5TH REGIONAL ASSEMBLY, THE REGIONAL VICE-GOVERNOR ANSARUDDIN ALONTO ADIONG, MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL CABINET
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT THIS AFTERNOON
THEIR EXCELLENCIES AND MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
MY BELOVED FATHER, MAGUINDANAO GOVERNOR DATU ANDAL S. AMPATUAN, SR. AL-HAJ, TAWI-TAWI GOVERNOR SADIKUL A. SAHALI, AL-HAJ, BASILAN GOVERNOR WAHAB M. AKBAR, AL-HAJ, SULU GOVERNOR BENJAMIN T. LOONG, AL-HAJ, LANAO DEL SUR GOVERNOR ALEEM BASHIER MANALAO, AL-HAJ, VICE- GOVERNOR DATU BIMBO Q. SINSUAT, AL-HAJ OF MAGUINDANAO, MAYOR MUSLIMIN G. SEMA & ALL COTABATO CITY OFFICIALS, MARAWI CITY MAYOR OMAR ALI
GENERAL JOEL GOLTIAO OF THE PNP, BRIGADIER GENERAL NEHEMIAS PAJARITO OF THE 6TH INFANTRY DIVISION, PHILIPPINE ARMY, MAJOR GEN. DATO’ MD ISMAEL BIN AHMAD KHAN OF THE GRP-MILF INTERNATIONAL MONITORING TEAM
PRESIDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE LEAGUE OF MUNICIPAL MAYORS, BOARD MEMBERS, MUNICIPAL VICE-MAYORS, BARANGAY CHAIRMEN AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ACADEME, NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS SECTOR AND MEDIA
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
ASSALAMU ALAIKUM WARAHMATULLAHI WABARAKATUH
In my First State of the Region Address which I delivered last November 14, 2005, I had clearly enunciated my major policy concerns and development priorities where we will concentrate our development efforts within our term of office.
So I stand before you today to deliver my Second State of the Region Address where I will highlight what we have accomplished so far in our first year of governance of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
I will also briefly outline today what will be the major focus of our attention in the next two (2) years that will guide everyone in our collective efforts in pursuing our development goals and objectives within this term.
Mr. Speaker, as a matter of policy I have initially concentrated my efforts to five key program areas: 1) Peace and Security, 2) Good Governance, 3) Economy, 4) Social Services, and 5) Infrastructure Development.
So what have we done so far in the past 12 months?
ON PEACE, PUBLIC ORDER AND SECURITY
With full support and cooperation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the leadership of the MILF and MNLF and the good people of the autonomous region, we have maintained an environment of peace and stability in the region compared to some areas in Mindanao.
Records show that our Regional Crime Incidence has decreased from 462 in 2005 to 311 in 2006.
We have reactivated the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) where the GRP-MILF Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCH) was represented for the first time in its meeting.
We have urged the GRP-MILF panel to strengthen its advocacy activities and to consider the representation of ARMM, being the most conflict-affected area in Mindanao.
On our peace building initiatives especially with our MNLF brothers--- in collaboration with MEDCo and with funding support from UNDP, we have intensified the implementation of peace programme especially in the identified Peace & Development Communities in ARMM.
Local conflicts and family feuds (rido) have been resolved and minimized thru the effort of the Regional Reconciliation and Unification Commission (RRUC). To date, four conflicts involving land and family feuds have been settled while seven are under negotiation.
The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) had laid down our Disaster Management Plan and preventive measures including the conduct of Nationwide Building Emergency Evacuation Plan (BEEP) to minimize the effects of man-made and natural calamities.
The local government officials of the provinces down to the barangay levels also deserve to be commended for their concerted efforts in helping maintain peace and order in their respective area of responsibility.
Above all, our sincere gratitude to Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her unwavering commitment in the pursuit of comprehensive peace in Mindanao.
With her strong leadership and determination, I am optimistic that the peace negotiation between the GRP and the MILF will be brought back to the negotiating table sooner than expected.
Let me therefore, re-affirm my commitment and support to the resumption up to the conclusion of the peace talks between the GRP and the MILF.
Let me join the fervent prayers and appeal of Mindanaoans to the government and MILF leadership to return to the negotiating table. All of us and our next generation deserve peace, and the time is now.
ON DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION AND GOVERNANCE
To re-build the image of ARMM, we have instituted some reforms in the way we are governing and administering the affairs of the autonomous regional government.
We have strengthened the working relation between the executive and legislative branches of the government and the same have yielded positive results.
We have fast-tracked the legislation of our major policies and programs. Thanks to the leadership of both the Former Speaker Hatimil Hassan and to the Incumbent Speaker Honorable Paisalin Tago—and the members of the 5th Assembly for their solid support to this administration.
We have also strengthened our relation with the Office of the President and with the National Government Agencies.
The Regional Governor of ARMM is now a regular member of the NEDA Board—the highest planning and policy making body of the national government.
With the good reform we are instituting in the ARMM, the President extended more assistance to the autonomous regional government to realize our plans and programs.
This includes P500 million development fund for our various infrastructure projects, P190 million pesos, which we utilized as financial assistance to our teachers who did not receive their September 2005 salaries and P166 million pesos under the President’s Priority Program on Water System.
“si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay tunay na minamahal ang taga-ARMM, kaya lubos-lubos ang kanyang pagtulong sa atin.. Alam nating lahat na ngayon lang ito nangyari sa kasaysayan ng ARMM ”.
We have also established good relation with most of the Senators and Congressmen representing the districts of ARMM. I am happy to say that most of the senators and all seven (7) congressmen in ARMM are fully supportive to our administration including party-list congressmen.
We have also enhanced our participation in the activities of various Mindanao development bodies including the MEDCo, Regional Development Committee-NEDA Board and the Mindanao Supra Region.
The LGUs are our strong partners in the implementation of our infrastructure projects in their respective localities.
We have adopted a policy of transparency and accountability that have brought good results to the region. We have strictly enforced a policy requiring all agencies to remit to the GSIS on a monthly basis all GSIS shares and premiums of the employees including the problematic agency of Department of Education.
I am happy to report to this Assembly that the agencies have responded favorably to this policy. We thus began to regain the trust and confidence of GSIS and employees who benefited from this policy.
Mr. Speaker, it is our dear and hardworking teachers that have been largely affected by DepEd problem. I do not only sympathize with them in their call for justice but I also felt their suffering.
And so, I have ordered the cleansing of the Department of Education thru records re-checking and reconciliation.
Fortunately, our efforts paid off. We have identified a number of schools which are not existing but functional only according to records.
This leadership cannot tolerate such an act especially if it involves resources for our beloved teachers and school children.
Mr. Speaker, with the support of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we have resolved the long overdue unpaid September 2005 salary of our teachers.
We have also required the agencies to submit to the office of the regional governor the statement of their monthly expenditures to ensure that funds are utilized in accordance with their intended purposes.
This reform has resulted to the proper use of government resources.
The ARMM regional government now manages the ARMM Social Fund Project thru Executive Order 518 issued by the President last March 28, 2006.
We are encouraged by this development as we expect more foreign assistance that will flow to ARMM.
Mr. Speaker, today, a better cooperation between ARMM and the BIR in the areas of tax withholding and remittances is now instituted.
As a result of this initiative, the region was able to generate a total collection of P487 million pesos from January to September 2006 alone.
Mr. Speaker, the DILG is implementing Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project (MBUSSP) in ARMM funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Also, the DILG with LGSPA or the Local Governance Support Program in ARMM is now implementing the Web-Based Government Performance Measurement System (LGPMS) to improve performance in governance and service delivery.
Our Barangay Civil Registration System has been in-placed thru the initiative of National Statistics Office.
We have also strengthened our public information and advocacy initiatives thru local and national tri-media.
ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Our regional economy is sound and healthy. Our GMA Rice and Corn Program continued to yield higher production. Both GMA Livestock and Fisheries Programs also yielded better results.
ARMM is top seaweeds producer which netted 503,002 metric tons in 2005.
Mr. Speaker, investment in ARMM had grown to about 12% registering an investment of P288 million as of June 2006 as compared to P254 million last year.
Employment in the industry sector showed about 3% increase from 3,282 jobs generated in June 2005 to 3,394 in June 2006 while agriculture sector posted 21,959 jobs for this year.
Business names registration grew by as much as 30% from 301 to 470 for the same period under review.
The region is now ready to receive investment proposals particularly in the Halal industry where the Muslim Mindanao Halal Certification Board, Inc. (MMHCBI) is organized and was launched last October 16, 2006 in Manila.
On land tenure improvement, about 64% had been accomplished wherein 216,262 out of 336,594 hectares had been transferred to 61,718 farmer beneficiaries.
Six (6) foreign assisted projects in 99 Agrarian Reform Communities (ARCs) in the region are being funded by DAR-ADB-ARCP, Belgian Integrated Agrarian Reform Support Project (BIARSP) III, European Union Support to Agrarian Reform in Central Mindanao (EU-STARCM) and the Western Mindanao Community Initiatives Project (WIMCIP).
The MRDP APL I of the World Bank has supported seven (7) pilot municipalities of Maguindanao and soon to implement MRDP APL II.
ARMM has been included in the Infrastructure for Rural Productivity Enhancement Sector (INFRES) with an approved farm to market road projects costing PhP 131.6 million pesos.
On cooperative development, we continue to infuse more training and capability enhancement to our existing cooperatives in the provinces.
Tourism activities in the region have been focused on cultural promotion & marketing, identification of tourism infrastructure and eco-tourism potentials, and institutional capacity building.
The Department of Science and Technology has focused its initiatives on technology transfer & commercialization, scholarship program, manpower development, and information technology.
We are continuing to upgrade our services in the management of our forest, land, environment, ecosystems and mines including protected areas particularly Lake Lanao, Kabulnan and Malmar areas.
We have strictly regulated the logging operations in the region.
ON SOCIAL SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT
We had made strides in fulfilling the priorities that we had enunciated before this august body in my previous state of the region address.
In the field of Education, we started to review our educational system and policies to make it more responsive and effective.
The Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM), the ARMM Social Fund Project (ASFP), and the Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQUALLS) project support the Madaris education and community-based education projects.
The Child Friendly Schools help teachers, administrators and community in improving the performance of our children. UNICEF had distributed school supplies to schools in conflict-affected areas.
The Department of Education has also implemented literacy programs to cater to low-level literate parents and out-of-school youths.
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) equipment were distributed to selected schools in ARMM especially for teaching science and mathematics.
Mr. Speaker, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has approved 40 scholarship slots to our qualified and deserving students for school year 2006-2007.
A total of 144 skills training were conducted with 3,320 workforce trained thru the TESDA-ARMM.
Job fair initiated by DOLE-ARMM generated a total of 1,253 job vacancies both local and overseas employment from the different establishments and recruitment agencies in the region.
A total of 653 applicants were registered and 307 of them were referred for local employment while 187 were deployed abroad.
On Social Welfare and Development, implementation of the Early Childhood Care Development (ECCD), UN-World Food Program, expanded day care and implementation of Supplemental Feeding Program is now on the ground.
In cooperation with Malaysian authorities, we are looking into the status of Filipino illegal immigrants particularly those coming from ARMM.
The DSWD has turned-over 239 core shelter units to beneficiaries. Another, 12 units are completed and 94 shelter units are still ongoing.
Relief assistance is being provided to families affected by both natural and man-made calamities.
Under the ASFP-Community Development Assistance (CDA) component, a total of 417 sub-projects are on-going implementation, 322 sub-projects were turned-over and 62 households are covered by Learning Livelihood & Food Sufficiency Program.
In the field of health services, I am happy to report that we had implemented several programs and projects that had impact on the lives of our constituents.
Health facility development and upgrading was undertaken, where recipient hospitals of the equipment from German Technical Cooperation and JICA were identified.
The United States government conducted a one month medical mission in the island provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan.
The first ARMM Progress Report on the Millennium Development Goals has been finalized and Implementing Rules and Regulations of the ARMM Magna Carta for Children known as MMA Act No. 162 are being finalized.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Mr. Speaker, we thank the Regional Assembly for the enactment of Regional Public Works Act and all development partners involved in the implementation of major infrastructure projects in the region.
Today, the people of ARMM are enjoying the benefits of completed projects and live witnesses to the implementation of on-going projects both nationally and ODA-funded projects.
There has been a massive implementation of 629 projects categorized as regional, provincial and district impact projects out of the 2005 and 2006 annual infrastructure allocation with a total budget of P1.30 billion pesos.
A total of 38 bridges under the Tulay ng Pangulo sa SZOPAD, Tulay ng Pangulo sa Barangay, and Salam Bridge Program are either on-going or completed.
We are now benefiting the services of five (5) major hospitals in the region, three (3) strategic ports, and one social welfare development center which are either rehabilitated or constructed under the ARMM Social Fund Project Strategic Regional Infrastructure.
The other four strategic infrastructures under World Bank funding are on-going implementation, while the 33 strategic infrastructures under JBIC funding are under preparation stage.
The Office of the Regional Governor has accessed the United States 416 (B) Program wherein 44 projects amounting to P184.6 million pesos are being implemented.
The USAID through its GEM Program has already completed a good number of small and medium scale infrastructure projects in various parts of ARMM.
A total of 190 barangays in ARMM are now benefiting the Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy or AMORE project funded by USAID and other international groups. AMORE 2 Project in Mindanao worth US$12 MILLION Dollars has been launched in the region last October 20, 2006.
Ngayon hindi lamang konsultasyon ang nangyayari sa LGUs at mamamayan ng ARMM kungdi maging ang pagdedesisyon sa kaunlaran ng pamayanan ay nangyayari na rin sa pamamagitan ng multi-sectoral committee na itinatag sa bawat munisipyo.”
Mr. Speaker, these are the highlights of our accomplishments.
NOW, WHERE DO WE INTEND TO GO FROM HERE?
In the next two years, we will focus our attention on the following:
We will strengthen our policy support to all peace initiatives in Mindanao being undertaken by the national government and supported by international community.
We will continue to institute a reform that would finally institutionalize effective and good governance in ARMM.
We will establish and strengthen the production base of Halal industry as well as the marketing and promotion through the coming-in of private investors.
Intensify reforestation and rehabilitation of coastal and marine resources as well as increase utilization of marsh areas for production purposes.
We intend to develop more Madaris textbooks, teaching manuals, and other learning materials to meet the requirements of our students and teachers. We will continue to undertake comprehensive reconstruction and rehabilitation programs of communities affected by conflicts and natural calamities.
We will continue to enforce laws and policies protecting the rights of cultural communities.
We will continue to intensify the implementation of vital infrastructure projects in the region.
We will continue to work closely with the Legislative Assembly in the pursuit of our priority legislative agenda.
Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen, I have just reported to you the state of the regional affairs, and I am happy to say that despite constraints, we are able to keep the region moving forward, although slowly, towards our goal we committed to pursue for a better Muslim Mindanao.
We still 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. Insha Allah.
With the full support of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, we expect more resources that we can access in the pursuit of our development objectives.
What we just ought to do is to continue our teamwork, and dedicate all that we do and all that we strive for to the welfare and well-being of the Bangsamoro people.
Maraming salamat po and Wassalam. <[bB][rR]> |
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