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Volleyball MVPs Belen, Ybanez named UAAP Players of the Week
Leaders are expected to be counted upon when their teams need them the most, and that is exactly the role Bella Belen and Josh Ybañez filled as the crucial second round got going in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments......»»
Women shaping Philippine monetary policy
Women have made significant strides as leaders in the Philippine financial services industry even as challenges continue to persist. At the helm are two distinguished female members of the Monetary Board (MB) – the policy-setting body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) –both of whom are breaking the bias for women in finance......»»
3 dead, 592 others afflicted with measles in BARMM since January
Three children in the Bangsamoro region died from measles in the past 10 weeks while 592 others contracted the viral, supposedly vaccine-preventable disease during the period, regional officials reported on Saturday......»»
SPEEd officers sworn in; Salve Asis named new president
The newly elected officers and members of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (SPEEd) formally took their oath of office yesterday, March 21......»»
Shaira Moro pumalag sa body-shamers: ‘Sa chubby mo makikita ang ganda!’
NANANATILING “unbothered” ang binansagang Queen of Bangsamoro Pop na si Shaira Alimudin o mas kilala sa stage name na Shaira Moro. Ito ay sa gitna ng kinakaharap niyang copyright issue sa viral song na “Selos.” Magugunita na naging usap-usapan ang pagtsugi ng nasabing kanta sa mga streaming platform dahil sa umano’y pagkopya ng tunog at.....»»
BARMM creates 32 parliamentary districts via regional edict
The first ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections in 2025 shall cover 32 newly-created districts set via an edict by its interim 80-member regional lawmaking body......»»
Bangsamoro human rights body questions arrest of suspect in MSU-Marawi bombing
MARAWI CITY (MindaNews / 12 December) – The Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) has questioned the arrest of Jafar Gamo Sultan, one of the suspected accomplices nabbed over the weekend for the December 3 bombing inside the Mindanao State University (MSU) campus here that left four Catholic worshippers killed and 72 others wounded. Lawyer Nasifah Langlang, […].....»»
BSKE 2023 still a go, says PNP
The Philippine National Police on Monday stressed that it is not seeing any postponement of the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections scheduled on 30 October amid the reported 2,594 areas of concern. PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said that the PNP has recorded 246 “areas of grave concern” or under the red category while 1,248 villages are under the orange category and 1,100 are under the yellow category. “So far, we are not seeing any areas that may postpone the polls. All areas will be simultaneously doing or conducting the BSKE as scheduled. There are some areas that we think that needs additional troops like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” Acorda said. “We have to send additional forces there and our deputy chief for operations are also preparing in coordination with the other agencies. If some areas will be challenging, we will render the appropriate measures,” he added. Areas listed under the red category would be under the Commission on Elections’ control and the poll body has the authority to augment security forces in the said areas. “With regards to the preparations for the barangay elections to our assessment and after the presentation of all the regional directors and after their meeting with the different Regional Joint Security Control Center, provincial JSCCs and of course on the national level, it’s a go for all of us,” said Acorda. The PNP chief revealed that the 246 “areas of grave concern” for the BSKE are mostly from Bicol, Eastern visayas and BARMM. “In BARMM alone we have 151, in Region 8 we have 60 and in Region 5 we have 21 this list is fluid, it may change anytime depending on the political climate in the area and these are being constantly monitored through our coordination with the Comelec, Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” said Acorda. He also said that the PNP keeping a close watch on 38 potential PAGs and four active PAGs ahead of the BSKE this year. The election period for the BSKE started on 28 August and will end on 29 November 2023. During this period, the Comelec mandates the suspension of activities involving the carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons and the employment of security personnel or bodyguards by incumbent public officials, whether elected or appointed, as well as private individuals. The post BSKE 2023 still a go, says PNP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP tags 246 ‘areas of concern’ ahead of BSKE
Some 246 "areas of grave concern" are initially being monitored for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on 30 October, the Philippine National Police said Monday. In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said these areas are classified under the red category of the election hotspot list and are mostly from Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. These would be put under the control of the Commission on Election. “The poll body has the authority to augment security forces in these areas,” she added. The PNP also categorized other hotspot areas under green, yellow, and orange lists. Green refers to areas that do not have security concerns and are generally peaceful and orderly. Fajardo said there are 1,100 villages under the yellow list which are “areas of concern” due to having a history of election-related incidents in the last elections, possible employment of partisan armed groups, occurrence of politically motivated election-related cases, and having been previously declared under Comelec control. The PNP also listed 1,248 villages under the orange list refers to “areas of immediate concern” where there is a serious armed threat. Fajardo said the PNP and the military will soon convene the National Joint Security Control Center to reconcile their records regarding the election hotspot list. The recommendation on the hotspot list would be then submitted to the Comelec en banc for final approval. The post PNP tags 246 ‘areas of concern’ ahead of BSKE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Walang (Mag)saysay
During one of the many well-publicized Senate hearings in the aftermath of the infamous Mamasapano Massacre in 2015 that led to the murder of 44 Special Action Force troopers, one Miriam Coronel-Ferrer was grilled by an irate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. Coronel-Ferrer was then chairman of the Aquino Government’s peace panel that had signed an accord with the Muslim rebels on the establishment of a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, an agreement widely regarded as having signed away a lot of our Republic’s prerogatives in favor of armed Islamic insurgents. Senator Cayetano demanded to know from Coronel-Ferrer why the government dragged its feet in providing artillery support and reinforcements to the trapped policmen, to which she notoriously replied, “The policy of the government is to first negotiate with the armed groups fighting with state forces.” To this, Cayetano replied, “No government in the world negotiates with terrorists.” Coronel-Ferrer’s response left most in the Senate gallery dumbfounded when she said, “I know of no such policy.” Yet here she is, one of this year’s Magsaysay Awardees. Ironic it is that an award founded in honor of one of the best-loved Presidents this country has ever had, would be given to an underling of someone who would become one of the most hated in Philippine history (after a string of scandals such as the Luneta hostage fiasco, “Yolanda” and Dengvaxia, among many others). Even more ironic is that she is being given the award for her supposed “transformative power of non-violent strategies,” when all that she succeeded in transforming was forty-four elite police personnel into corpses due to the appalling display of violence of a rebel movement she greatly enabled. She also almost transformed our Republic into a dismembered state; thank heavens the backlash from the massacre caused the agreement she brokered to be shelved in favor of one much less onerous to the Philippines. But what is to expected of an award-giving body co-opted by Yellowtards, as a quick look at the roster of its chairman and trustees will readily reveal. Composed of men and women with strong ties either to Mrs. Cory Aquino and/or her anointed successor, Fidel Ramos, these people either served in the Cabinet or important agencies of one or the other President; or had enjoyed — or are still enjoying — high positions in big corporations supportive of the Aquino Yellow narrative. So it should be of no wonder that these denizens of the same echo chamber would exhibit the proclivity, remarkably endemic to the Aquino clique, of giving awards and accolades to each other. As if that would somehow compensate for the fact that the narrative that has kept them in power for more than 30 years had been totally demolished. Just note the decorations given to Leni after she lost, from fellowships to doctor’s degrees honoris causa to trophies for this and that dubious achievement. Such a pity that the Magsaysay Awards should so decline in prestige. It used to be an important recognition for Asian leaders, counting among its Filipino awardees the likes of Francisca Aquino, Rosa Rosal, F. Sionil Jose, Lino Brocka, Dr. Fe del Mundo, Nick Joaquin, James Reuter, Bienvenido Lumbera and Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Yet, like many others touched by the Yellow reverse-Midas touch, what used to be gold is turning to crap, with Yellow stalwarts Jesse Robredo, Sheila Coronel, Conchita-Carpio Morales, Haydee Yorac and Hilario Davide among the list. Cringy, especially since among those who have previously received the honor were the Dalai Lama, Thai Premier Anand Panyarachun, Mochtar Lubis, Akira Kurosawa, Ravi Shankar and Mother Teresa. To use an overworn cliché, President Magsaysay would be turning in his grave to know that his eponymous award has become another way for those in the same political group to pat themselves on the back. Its value has depreciated and, if the trend is not arrested, it will soon be irrelevant, a case of walang saysay. The post Walang (Mag)saysay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
8 new Bangsamoro towns rising in Cotabato province
Stakeholders are anticipating a boom in commerce and trade in Cotabato province with the creation of eight new Bangsamoro municipalities in the area via enabling measures approved by a regional law-making body Thursday......»»
102 former MILF, MNLF combatants now PNP members
Some 102 former Moro combatants in Mindanao are now members of the Philippine National Police. Of the total figure of former fighters-turned-police, 52 of them are members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front while 50 are from Moro National Liberation Front; 94 are male and eight are female. These new members of the PNP took their oath as patrolmen in a ceremony at Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region at Camp Brigadier General Salipada K. Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte last 10 August. The Bangsamoro government and the National Police Commission have previously entered into an agreement allowing the recruitment of former MILF and MNLF combatants into the police organization, with most applicants coming from the mainland and island provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. This was followed but the conduct of a Special Qualifying Eligibility Examination for MILF and MNLF members who wish to enter the police force on 29 May 2022. The special examination of a total of 11,033 applicants was simultaneously conducted in select schools in Cotabato City and Lamitan City, Basilan. Of the examinees, about 7,145 or 64.77 percent passed the special exams. The PROBAR started the recruitment program for the passing applicants on 20 June this year with a total of 1,249 candidates endorsed by the Bangsamoro government, including 882 from the MILF and 367 from the MNLF. After passing a series of assessments including Body Mass Index evaluation, health examinations, and a rigorous physical agility test, the PNP said only 1,134 candidates were deemed fit to proceed. These tests were followed by comprehensive medical assessment including psychological and psychiatric examinations, general physical and dental examinations, and drug tests. The number of applicants was later reduced to 102 who passed the final screening and deliberations by the recruitment board. This effort was part of the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law—the enabling law of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. The post 102 former MILF, MNLF combatants now PNP members appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD chief leads distribution of aid to former MILF combatants
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian led the distribution of transitory cash assistance to the decommissioned combatants (DCs) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The handing out of aid was made during the resumption of the Phase 3 Decommissioning of MILF members in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte over the weekend. Gatchalian, together with DSWD Undersecretary for Inclusive-Sustainable Peace and Special Concerns Alan A. Tanjusay, personally handed over the P100,000.00 cash aid to each MILF combatant who underwent the decommissioning process by the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB). After the payout, the DSWD chief engaged in an open dialogue with some of the decommissioned combatants of the MILF. “The presence of the ‘Angels in Red Vests’ here today is a demonstration to all of us that the DSWD will continue with our commitment to further improve the peace environment in this part of the region by providing social protection services to our brothers and sisters in the MILF towards nation-building. In return, we hope others will continue to invest and contribute to the peace that further strengthens our nation,” Gatchalian explained. He also called on the DSWD, other government agencies, the MILF leaders and members, local government units (LGUs), the military and police, and other partner peace builders to “continue to nurture and invest in the shared responsibility in cultivating the peace environment in the region”. The DSWD Secretary was welcomed by IDB Chief of Staff Tom Hjertholm and Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Presidential Assistant David Diciano in the assembly processing area (APA) of the decommissioning. The Phase 3 Decommissioning, which resumed this August, targets to process some 1,301 MILF combatants within the month. The DSWD Field Office XII Normalization Team spearheads the payout and enrollment of the beneficiaries to the Biometrics Registration and Verification (BRaVe) System. They also conduct reengagement activities including aftercare visits, grant monitoring, and case management of each DC. Since 2015, the Department has disbursed a total of P2.48 billion in financial assistance to some 24,844 MILF DCs. Each beneficiary received a Bangsamoro Transitory Family Support Package (BTFSP) and livelihood grant amounting to P100,000.00. These initial aid packages are intended to help reintegrate DCs into mainstream society. In the following years, the DSWD, OPAPRU, and IDB, together with the different mechanisms in the MILF peace process, intend to cater to the remaining 14,000 MILF combatants. The provision of financial assistance is in line with the socio-economic development of DCs and their communities under the government’s commitment in the Annex on Normalization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). The post DSWD chief leads distribution of aid to former MILF combatants appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gov’t eyes MILF decommissioning completion ahead of 2025 BARMM parliament election
The government is targeting to complete the decommissioning of the remaining 1,301 Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants ahead of the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliament election in 2025, with the third phase of the decommissioning process slated to begin on 3 August. This was announced by Presidential Adviser on Reconciliation, Peace, and Unity, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., during the 2023 post-State of the Nation Address or SoNA forum held in Pasay City on Wednesday late afternoon. “Actually it’s a way earlier because we are targeting to finish the decommissioning before the BARMM election 2025 along with parallel programs of the government for the former combatants,” Galvez told reporters in an interview. The peace adviser noted around 24,600 former MILF combatants have already been decommissioned since the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Reconciliation and Unity as well as Independent Decommissioning Body, began facilitating the first and second phases of the program. A total of 19,345 MILF combatants have availed of the first phase of decommissioning in 2015 and the second phase from 2019 to 2020. At least 5,500 MILF combatants underwent decommissioning until end-December of 2022. Galvez said the decommissioning program comes with the provision of emergency employment, social entrepreneurship projects, and skills development training to the former combatants. “It’s very critical that we build on the peace gains and ensure continuing progress in the BARMM,” he added. Under the decommissioning program, qualified family beneficiaries were also given a Bangsamoro Transitory Family Support Package amounting to P80,000 and P20,000 worth of Livelihood Settlement Grants. This program is part of the normalization track under the Bangsamoro Organic Law—which is designed for the peaceful reintegration of former combatants into their communities with several support packages provided by the concerned national agencies and local government units. The post Gov’t eyes MILF decommissioning completion ahead of 2025 BARMM parliament election appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NegOr polls deferment still in limbo
The Commission on Elections on Sunday revealed that the decision on whether to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Oriental or not will still take time to process. Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said that ahead of the scheduled public consultations on the proposed postponement of elections in the province this week, they will also hold consultations with other stakeholders, possibly pushing the schedule of the decision even close to the elections on 30 October. “We will not immediately decide on this after the public consultations there. We also have to follow other processes at the national level, such as consultations with citizens’ arm and stakeholders,” Garcia said. “If you’ll ask me, it may happen in the last week of September to the first week of October,” he added. To recall, the poll body on Thursday released a schedule of 25 simultaneous public consultations on the proposed postponement of the polls in Negros Oriental. The scheduled public hearings have been divided in five clusters, each with public consultations in five cities and municipalities. However, a total of ten events will be held each day on 27 and 28 June and five on 29 June. In this case, the Comelec has scheduled a public consultation in Canlaon City, Vallehermoso, Tayasan, Ayungan, Bais City, Pamplona, Sibulan, Dumaguete City, Zamboanguita and Siaton on 27 June. Residents of Guihulngan City, La Libertad, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Tanjay City, Amian, Valencia, Bacong, Santa Catalina and Bayawan City are also expected to join in their respective public hearings on 28 June. On the last day, 29 June, the Comelec will hold consultations in Jimalalud, Mabinay, San Jose, Dauin and Basay. Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told Daily Tribune in a message on Sunday that Garcia will be present in a public consultation at Lamberto Macias Sports Complex in Dumaguete City on Tuesday afternoon. Garcia will be joined by Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Andres Centino and Philippine National Police chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. The Comelec chair also revealed that they have yet to receive the petition from governors from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to declare postponement of the barangay and SK polls until the completed withdrawal of Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants. “I have read in periodicals that Bangsamoro governors want to postpone the BSKE in their region. If we ever receive their petition, this will be subjected to appropriate processes,” Garcia said. He reminded other sitting public officials and stakeholders of the provisions of Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code which provide the basis for a declaration of postponement in an area in the country. The said provision in the OEC states that a postponement is warranted if there exists “violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature that the holding of a free, orderly and honest election should become impossible in any political subdivision” in a certain area. “We don’t want to create an ugly precedent that we will declare a postponement just because of the calls of the few, then others will call for that in the future, then everyone will just call for a postponement,” Garcia said. “Remember that the election is included in our law, and the Comelec is the implementer of the law. As much as possible, we will implement, at all costs, the provisions of the law,” he added. The post NegOr polls deferment still in limbo appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MILF, MNLF members’ entry to PNP starts
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front have started their journey to the Philippine National Police as members of the police force. A total of 1,000 qualified and organic members of both organizations reported to PNP-Police Regional Office for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to attend the general orientation and subsequently undergo Body Mass Index and Physical Agility Test as part of the entry screening on Wednesday. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that the PNP has started processing the list of endorsed applicants. “The applicants would have to pass the body mass index test, physical agility test, psychological examination, physical and dental examination and background investigation, among others,” Fajardo said. Intergovernmental Relations Body co-chair Mohaqher Iqbal confirmed that MILF and MNLF had endorsed their qualified members for the PNP integration. He said that since the screening in PNP would be rigid, there’s an obvious risk that some of the applicants would be unable to make it to the final cut. Iqbal added that if the number of successful candidates exceeded the 400 approved quota for this year, the excess would be given priority in the subsequent batch. “There’s an obvious risk here in recruitment, so on the part of the MILF and MNLF, there are criteria for endorsed applicants to ensure that they have a good chance of passing,” Iqbal said. The post MILF, MNLF members’ entry to PNP starts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Galvez returns as presidential peace adviser
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reappointed former AFP chief Carlito Galvez Jr. as presidential peace adviser after being renamed senior undersecretary of the Department of National Defense. In a statement Saturday, Galvez said Marcos reinstated him as the secretary of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity to help in pushing forward the Bangsamoro peace process because “this is where his heart is.” Galvez was previously appointed as OPAPRU secretary by former President Rodrigo Duterte in December 2018. In January this year, Marcos swore in Galvez as the DND officer-in-charge and later led several activities related to the defense sector. Galvez said he is determined to help the administration “unleash the full economic potential” of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Earlier this weekend, Galvez joined Special Assistant to the President, Secretary Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. in visiting the BARMM office in Cotabato City to assess the progress and development of peace initiatives in the region. Lagdameo and Galvez also met separately with BARMM Interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Embrahim, Minister of Basic, Higher and Technical Education Mohagher Iqbal, and other BARMM officials, to discuss possible areas of cooperation between the national and Bangsamoro government, particularly on initiatives that aim to boost the region’s standing as a commercial and trading center in Mindanao as well as maintaining peace and security situation in the region. Lagdameo is currently the co-chairperson of the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization, the body mandated to coordinate and mobilize national government agencies in the implementation of the Normalization Program for Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants, their families, and communities. Galvez said there’s remarkable economic progress taking place in the BARMM region. Hence, he recommended the revival of what he described as “sea-lane of commerce” in the South. The president’s peace adviser was referring to the development of a coastal area that stretches from Malabang to the Polloc Port, and further down south to the island provinces of Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. Galvez cited BARMM as the biggest contributor to the country’s fish industry, followed by the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) and Soccsksargen (Region 12), respectively. The economic activities within the Maguindanao del Norte and BARMM’s Island provinces are expected to increase after the BARMM’s Ministry of Transportation approved Roll On/Roll Off operations in April this year. The post Galvez returns as presidential peace adviser appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BARMM Governors Caucus, for what?
As this column had predicted, it was bound to happen. There is no stopping the confrontation between the leadership of the Bangsamoro Regional Government, dominated by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the incumbent governors in the region. It’s a clash between status quo and change. The emerging Moro leaders in the region were personified by the governors advocating reforms versus the well-entrenched dynasties. Everything pointed to it happening. They can swear to high heavens that no such thing will happen, but their actions betray their intentions. This column sees them as being civil to each other only for public consumption. But below the sea of calm is a raging current with each side preparing to unleash their powers. Their body language says it all. A political showdown is imminent for what Moro political opinionist, Sultan Pangnal Datu Ramos, describes as a Battle Royale. In a move that was nothing but an alignment and consolidation of political forces, the five elected governors in the BARMM convened what they conveniently called the “BARMM Governors Caucus (BGC)” in Cagayan de Oro City on 6 June. Present were Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. (Lanao del Sur) who played host, Abdusakur Tan (Sulu), Bai Mariam Mangudadatu (Maguindanao del Sur), Ysmael Sali (Tawi-Tawi), and Malusso Mayor Hanie Bud, president of the Basilan League of Municipalities, representing Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman. This was not the first time they met. In fact, after every major political development in the region that they saw as a threat to their political sway over their turf, they met and made known their position which was not always in sync with that of the BARMM leadership. In a press statement heavy with motherhood phrases meant for public consumption, they claimed that the BGC is “a platform that will advocate and promote the issues our constituents have identified as critical. The Caucus will engage in dialogue toward greater cooperation and collaboration with the national and regional governments and multisectoral groups.” If their intention is honest and true, why did they not involve the BARMM as the immediate tier in the governance set-up in addressing critical issues? Why sideline the regional government which could help them promote the interest of their public? Why was the newly appointed governor of Maguindanao del Norte not invited to the caucus? Is it because he is identified with the leadership of the BARMM having been a senior minister before his appointment by the President? If they wanted a dialogue, why didn’t they involve national and regional officials or their representatives in the forum? The manifesto likewise said that “the Caucus is committed to supporting the peace process and the BARMM. But of course, who would want unpeace? A disruption of the peace will adversely affect their decades-old dynasties. Their actions belie their claim of support for the BARMM. They look at BARMM as nothing but a threat to their political grip on their individual fiefdoms. The BGC is the sum of past dialogues and meetings of these governors with the agenda manifestly not in tandem with the interest of the BARMM leadership. When BARMM was being conceptualized and was later submitted for legislation, Gov. Tan challenged the move before the Supreme Court and when the BARMM officials lobbied for the postponement of the parliamentary election which led to the extension of their terms of office, most governors opposed it. And they likewise opposed certain provisions of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code which was passed by the regional parliament over their objection. The recent ambush of Gov. Adiong alerted these governors to a serious threat to their leadership and they decided to band closer together to protect their political interests. They raised concerns about the non-completion of the decommissioning process, which has allowed the armed MILF to continue carrying their firearms in public with impunity. How can you face and win over an enemy whose followers are allowed by the government to pack six shooters? This scenario could definitely put the MILF’s Bangsamoro Justice Party at a huge advantage. These factors and many more gave birth to the Caucus. More on this in my next column. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post BARMM Governors Caucus, for what? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zero hunger is possible
As grade school students back in the day, one of the more important lessons drilled in our young minds was to know the basic needs of man. In the relatively simple and peaceful universe we lived in then, we were told these were food (and water), clothing, and shelter. Years later, a more sophisticated, technologically advanced, and complex environment exposed men to new challenges and corresponding changes. To that simple three-item list were added — apart from the basic physical needs — emotional, mental, and spiritual necessities, and a host of others, including, and most especially now, communication facilities or an Internet connection. Within the Philippine setting, Undersecretary Dennis Mapa, our National Statistician and economist, appended health, education, and personal care as essentials. High on the list is food, and rightly so, for the nutrients we get from it make our bodies strong and healthy as these replace cells worn out from wear and tear. Yet a United Nations Sustainable Development Report released last year revealed alarming news: between 720 million and 811 million persons were suffering from hunger, roughly 161 million more than in 2021. And in the same year, a staggering 2.4 billion people, or above 30 percent of the world’s population, were moderately or severely food insecure, lacking regular access to adequate food. On the home front, despite our vaunted natural resources and seemingly inexhaustible bounty from the land and seas around us, a survey has shown that one out of 10 households in the Philippines suffer from “food insecurity.” The survey also cited the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Region VIII (the six provinces and seven cities in Eastern Visayas), and Region XII (the Mindanao provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat) as the three most “food insecure” regions of the country. It may not be a coincidence that these three areas are among the country’s poorest regions. Admitting this is a national concern, the government has said it considers food security a top priority. Late last year, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said they were watching out for surges in the prices of goods and services due primarily to recent typhoons that hit the country, affecting workers who complained their wages were barely enough to buy or pay for their basic needs, especially food. He added that the administration was bent on ensuring consumers an adequate and affordable food supply. Food security has been defined as “when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life,” according to the 1996 World Food Summit. At the same time, food should be readily available, easily accessible, prepared and eaten the right way (nutrition-wise), and procured regularly, the world body added. In the Philippines, the most common food security problems are poor or inadequate agricultural harvests attributed to practices or methods that have either been discarded or have not been adopted or kept pace with the times. Suggestions have been floated as possible solutions to food security like introducing more diversified crops, improving infrastructure, building new road networks linking farms to markets, enhancing or restructuring current trade practices and policies, working on programs and advocacies to combat the adverse effects of climate change and maintain sustainable green economies. Boosting agricultural production would mean “more investments in the food value chain and research and development to enhance farm productivity and improve the efficiency of post-harvest processes,” Balisacan said. “Getting the government to facilitate private investments in marketing infrastructure including storage, transport, and logistics, and continuing to provide cash transfers and fuel discounts are crucial to achieving durable food security.” Is zero hunger attainable? The optimist (and farmer) in me believe it is possible, but only when we aggressively push for renewable agricultural practices and work hard at growing more crops on every piece of land available. Then, we can say that we will never be hungry again. The post Zero hunger is possible appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bangsamoro sports body lays down program
A delegation of the Bangsamoro Sports Commission met with the Philippine Sports Commission board yesterday seeking to work hand-in-hand with the national sports agency in terms of strengthening its grassroots program in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao......»»