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Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

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LIGAN CITY — Despite Typhoon Odette (internationally named ‘Rais’) rampaging parts of Southern Philippines including this Northern Mindanao city, a Muslim commu-

nity marked here an important annual event in the Arabic-speaking world on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021.

WORLD | A3

BARMM in Focus

By ALI G. MACABALANG

BARMM’s READi helps typhoon Odette-hit Lanao Sur town

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rained workers and volunteers of the Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidents (READi) of the Bangsamoro autonomous governance have aided the local government unit and residents of Bubong, Lanao del Sur from devastation wrought by typhoon Odette (Rai).

Flood waters ranging as high as neck-level submerged houses, mosques and public buildings for several hours in Bubong, one of low-lying towns surrounding Lake Lanao, as typhoon Odette started pummeling different parts of Visayas and Mindanao on Thursday, Dec. 16, according to reports from the READi and regional authorities.

The autonomous government’s Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) convened amid news reports of the entry of typhoon Odette in the country, and set up teams from concerned ministries as well BARMM | A2

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OTABATO CITY — The interim Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has passed the proposed P79.862 billion budget of the regional government for 2022, reflecting a 6% increase over the current regional budget of P75.6 billion, according to the legislature’s information division.

By a vote of 59-0-0, members of Parliament approved the 2022 Bangsamoro Expenditure Program (BEP) on third and final reading, an hour after the plenary passed the measure on second reading on Tuesday, Dec. 28, Sheila Dela Cruz, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Information, Publication and Media Relations Division head, said.

The BEP was certified as urgent by BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, in effect waiving the three-day mandatory interval between the second and third reading of measures, Dela Cruz said.

The regional budget measure was proposed as Cabinet Bill 155 titled “An

Act Appropriating Funds for the Operation of the Bangsamoro Government from January 1 to December 31, 2022 and for other purposes,” she added.

She said Lawyer Ubaida Pacasem, deputy minister of Finance, Budget, and Management, underBTA | A2

NCMF gets ISO certification; Pangarungan recalls dark past The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) now belongs to the circle of national agencies in 165 nations acknowledged by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for exemplary standards in management and service delivery, bouncing effectively off from what its current officialdom described as dark past.

NCMF | A5

A3 ODETTE UPDATE

Parts of Iligan-Bukidnon road closed A landslide rendered two segments of the Iligan-Bukidnon road in the hinterland village of Rogongon impassable since Friday, a day after super typhoon ‘Odette’ swept across northern Mindanao...

A5 NATIONAL NEWS

A6 FOREIGN NEWS

POPCOM projects slowest Malaysia flood evacuees population rise in 75 years rise to 64K, with 8 deaths The Philippine population is expected to achieve a historic record in 2021, as the total number of Filipinos is projected to increase by only 324,000 for the entire year—just a 0.3% increase compared…

KUALA LUMPUR – Eight people have been reported dead while evacuees rose to 64 thousands due to severe flooding in Malaysia as of Monday, authorities in Selangor state said.

For latest update, click link: www.philmuslim.today. For Press Release, email to: chiefeditor@philmuslim.today

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News

BARMM’s READi… from Page A1

as the READi unit of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), according to the office interim Chief Minister Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim.

Posting photos in social media about severe flooding in Bubong prompted MILG Sec. Naguib Sinarimbo to deploy to the town several truckloads of relief foods and remedial stuff accompanied by trained volunteers and workers of the READI unit led by focal person Myrna Jo Henry on Saturday, Dec. 18.

After coordination with the office of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal “Bombiut” Alonto-Adiong Jr. in Marawi City, the team proceeded to Bubong town, dispersed the relief goods and let its trained workers clear drainage systems in the municipality.

The flood waters swiftly subsided with the services of the READi workers and volunteers, said Shaminudin Sambitori of the Bubong municipal disaster risk reduction and management office (MDRRMO).

The READi unit has a pool of hundreds of workers and volunteers trained in still continuing batches in Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) of training-workshops coordinated with the Army’s 6th Infantry Division proactive response instructors as well as experts recognized nationally.

The RDRRMC monitored other parts of the autonomous region affected by typhoon Odette, even as CM Ebrahim has reportedly ordered concerned ministries to give relief, medical and technical remedies if needed. Ebrahim was all praises that the cyclone involved no casualties so far in the area of autonomy.

Odette, one of deadliest tropical cyclones to hit the Philippines this year, reportedly left 31 people dead in Cebu (13), Negros Oriental (5), Bohol (5), Guimaras (2), Iloilo (1), Negros Occidental (1), and Bukidnon (1). Four of the fatalities were confirmed, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

It started rampaging in parts of Visayas and Mindanao on Thursday (Dec. 16), bringing in heavy rains that submerged many areas. Strong winds accompanying it toppled down telecommunication facilities, causing two days of internet interruption or disconnection in affected areas.

ALI G. MACABALANG

Above are supplied photos showing an internal section of the mosque cleared of flood waters with the assistance of READi workers, and the unloading of relief goods

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

BTA approves P79.8-B budget for BARMM in 2022 | from Page A1 scored the use of the new budget to spur recovery initiatives from the COVID -19 economic recession and other priority concerns in the region.

The BEP will fund regular activities of the BARMM’s ministries and line agencies, including purchases of goods and services for day-to-day operations; public service deliveries; conduct of basic governance; and providing general management and supervision of the entire Bangsamoro Government.

As usual, the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education has the biggest allocation at P24.7 billion, followed by the Ministry of Public Works (P16.3 billion); Office of the Chief Minister (P8 billion); Ministry of Health (P4.6 billion), the BTA parliament (P3 billion), and the Ministry of Social Services and Development (P2.6 billion), it was learned.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform is allocated with (P1.5 billion); the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (P1.2 billion); the Ministry of Human Settlement and Development (P814 million); and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (P642 million).

Enhancing adaptation to new normal The education ministry has received the biggest chunk of the budget in 2020 and 2021 to bankroll initiatives meant to improve the learning environment by adapting to the new normal shaped by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the academe. Its new budget reflects a 5% increase over its current P23.2 billion budget.

For Basic Education, the ministry continues to strive for school-based management and operations; provide MOOE for regular operation of all schools and divisions across the BARMM; provide all public school learners with health and nutrition services to allow them to reach their full educational potential and ensure the wellness of its teaching personnel; and implement fully its agenda: “No child shall be left

behind.”

In the higher education sector, the ministry will provide assistance to qualified senior high school and alternative learning system graduates.

For the technical education sector, the MBHTE is pursuing a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Scholarship Program that covers both community-based and institution-based training programs that seek to address the specific skills needs of the communities and promote employment through entrepreneurial, selfemployment, and serviceoriented activities.

Madaris Education has two (2) programs for 2022: Madaris (Arabic schools) Standards and Provision, and Madaris Asatidz (teachers) Program.

To ensure uninterrupted educational services, the BARMM’s education ministry will continue to employ provisional teachers. The ministry also includes the provision of learners’ and teachers’ kits, armchairs, and learning materials.

COVID-19 response plan for healthcare system The Ministry of Health has equally gained substantial budget for continued response measures to the post-threats of the viral pandemic, prioritizing provision of furniture and fixtures, implementing the COVID Response Plan, achieving regional herd immunity, and upgrading the operations of public hospitals in the Bangsamoro region.

The ministry allocated a budget for the development of barangay health stations, medical scholarship program for medical doctors and midwives, financial assistance for barangay health workers, and construction of offices in the special geographic area.

It also set aside funds for medicine and vaccines to ensure that children and adults in the region are protected. It also seeks to increase its services to the communities by constructing field offices in BARMM’s special geographic area comprising the 63 barangays in North Cotabato that have

opted for inclusion in BARMM terriroty.

More infrastructure projects The Ministry of Public Works seeks proportionate budget for its Road Network and other Public Infra Facilities plan, aims to improve road connectivity and attract investors from the private sector, the local government units, and other associations and cooperatives to invest in the Bangsamoro region for the processing, handling, and distribution of agricultural products, particularly in the region’s rural areas.

The same plan aims to construct 570.75-kilometer roads allocated proportionally for towns, cities and provinces in BARMM. The region covers 123 towns in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan.

The MPW also targets the construction of 54 bridges as part of BARMM’s infrastructure to ease the transport of raw materials and finished goods and services in the region.

The Flood Management Program entails the construction of 99 flood control and drainage systems, as well as 32 slope and shore protection measures. These investments will aid in improving flood management (flood mitigation and flood preparedness) to protect vulnerable communities and increase climate change resilience.

The MPW is also committed to strengthening the water systems in the region by providing a safe, sustainable, and sufficient water supply for drinking.

The Water Supply Program targets the implementation of 139 water systems.

The Port Rehabilitation Program will help with the expansion of the region’s

business and tourism industries. A total of 31 seaports will be rehabilitated or built as part of the program.

Multi-sector response The Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) sought a P8 billion budget for 2022 as it continues its legacy of responding to the immediate needs of the Bangsamoro people, not only within the autonomous region but in other parts of the country.

The Quick Response Fund and Marawi Rehabilitation Program got the bulk of the OCM’s budget for 2022.

Among the programs and projects of the OCM are: Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (KAPYANAN); Social Enterprise and Economic Development; Strengthening Community Governance, Peace, and Development; Water and Sanitation and Health; Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan (TABANG); Ayudang Medikal mula sa Bangsamoro Government (AMBaG), and the provision of decent housing.

The OCM also plans to implement various infrastructure projects and support the 47 non-IRA barangays.

Source of Funds The BARMM’s main source of revenue is the Block Grant automatically appropriated yearly in the national General Appropriations Act and released promptly to the Bangsamoro Government.

The Block Grant, as envisioned under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) or R.A. 11054 is equal to 5% of the net national internal revenue tax collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for ten years reckoned upon the establishment of BARMM in 2019.

(AGM)

News

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

2 segments of IliganBukidnon road closed due to landslide

‘World Arabic Day’ marked in Iligan … from page A1 Muslim students, youth, mentors and local community elders in Iligan City braved the heavy rains and strong winds to join the global celebration of the “World Arabic Language Day.” It was spearheaded by the Asia Academic integrated School Inc. (AAISI), an academic institution of learning integrating Islamic education and the Filipino academic standard operating under the Philippine educational system.

AAISI was established here by a Kuwaitibased humanitarian foundation, shortly before the Covid 19 pandemic hit the world.

The school, located along C3 Road in Merila 2, Barangay Ubaldo Laya, marked the celebration with various activities, mostly Islamic, which included calling of adzan, Qur’an reading, singing, washyat and others.

Dr. Hany Abdul Aziz Elmeligy, AAISI head said the school is world-class and established here to help the youth in their educational development and advancement, especially those who belong to the needy.

Elmeligy is the director of the Human Foundation for Social and Educational Develo0ment, inc. that operates the school.

The foundation also established similar schools in some parts of the country, especially in Mindanao.

Elmeligy said the school in Iligan City has dormitory for the orphans, a big function hall, a medical clinic and other facilities aimed to provide the mind, physical and spiritual well-being of the students.

He said it offers complete scholarship to orphans and charges very minimal fees to paying students. “It can accommodate about 3,000 students,” he added.

The school offered up to senior high school levels. As of this year, it has senior high school students.

Former Arab News senior correspondent and Philippine Amanah Bank Director Abdul Hannan Tago graced the occasion as guest speaker together with distinguished guests including media representatives.

Tago emphasized the need to learn the Arabic language as an international medium for wider opportunity in the international Muslim world, especially Arabic speaking people in the middle who provided to thousands of workers from throughout the world.

While Tago lamented that the Filipino Ulama who completed Islamic and Arabic education from Muslim countries are not much given equal opportunities in this country, he emphasized they are given better opportunity in the Muslim world, especially Arabic speaking people in the Middle East who provided livelihood to thousands of workers from all over the world.

He congratulated the students and their parents for choosing the AAISI and similar schools for the education of their children for this is not only provide them better opportunities in this world but also lead them for a better life in the Hereafter.

The World Arabic Language Day celebrated here is also graced by Ulama, local community leaders, parents and other community leaders.

MASIDING NOOR YAHYA

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By RICHEL V. UMEL

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LIGAN CITY – A landslide rendered two segments of the Iligan-Bukidnon road in the hinterland village of Rogongon impassable since Friday, a day after super typhoon ‘Odette’ swept across northern Mindanao, but road-clearing operations are ongoing.

Barangay Councilor Cybee Capangpangan Serino told MindaNews in a telephone interview on Sunday morning that he was informed about the landslide by a resident who passed the area and had to go on foot to get to the other side since all types of vehicles could no longer pass through.

A day after super typhoon Odette swept across Northern Mindanao, two segments of the Iligan Bukidnon road in Barangay Rogongon, Iligan City were closed to traffic due to a landslide. Photo courtesy of Barangay Councilor Cybee Capangpangan Serino

Serino said the landslide happened in Sitio Libandayan on the northwest side and Sitio Salingsing on the southeastern side going to Sitio Limunsodan in Barangay Rogongon.

Vincent Labial, DPWH District II Information Officer said the landslide site is about 30 kilometers from the national highway in Iligan City.

Serino requested the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Lanao del Norte 2nd Engineering District, 554 Army Engineer Battalion and City Engineering Office to send heavy equipment for clearing operations.

Engineer Alykhan Umpa Ali, District Engineer of DPWH District II said he sent heavy equipment early Sunday to assist in the roadclearing.

Lt. Colonel Hassan Badar, Commanding Officer of 554 Army Engineer Battalion also assured they would help. He said he sent a reconnaissance team to assess the extent of landmass and condition of the area.

Labial noted that a landslide also occurred in another hinterland village, in Digkilaan, on Thursday. The DPWH, he said, had cleared the road.

MindaNews

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News

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

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hilippine Muslim Today newspaper is issued weekly by Philippine Muslim Today Inc., a non-government corporation operating under the laws of the Philippines, and edited by renowned veteran Muslim journalists in the Philippines.

EDITORIAL MASIDING NOOR YAHYA Editor-In-Chief /Publisher JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL Managing Editor ALI G. MACABALANG News Editor

JAHARA A. SOLAIMAN Contributing Editor FATIMA ORTIL-JANNARAL Bureau Chief for NCR-Plus JOHNNY R. LEE Bureau Chief for Western Mindanao Region & BaSulTa ROCAYA SUMNDAD OTICAL Bureau Chief for Northern Mindanao & CARAGA Regions PANAMBULAN MIMBISA Bureau Chief for Central Mindanao Region SALIC MACABALANG Bureau Representative for Bangsamoro Regon MARIA FHEBIE ORTIL Head of Accounts Executives for NCR Plus SITTI ROHANISA NOOR YAHYA Comptroller

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22 Mercury Street, Rabago Subdivision, Villa Verde, Iligan City, 9200 Phone: 063 2290965 | 09477201555 | Email: muslimtoday2020@gmail.com Https://philmuslim.today

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Once in while, we post here selected motivational statement we found from Facebook. The above has been posted in the Muslims in the Philippines Forum, a group administered by Philippine Muslim Today newspaper.

Bangsamoro Voters Must Put Up The “Muslim Vote”

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Front page of PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TODAY previous issue.

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ooking through each political party’s roster for national elective positions, one can only pick out very few Bangsamoro candidates among the ranks, or even non-Muslim candidates who openly show support to the Muslims in this country. It can even be observed that the candidates in question may not even be considered as popular owing to the fact that they may be new players or are not that known outside of their hometown circles, or have expressed opinions and political leanings before that may not have sat well with the non-Muslim mainstream. Such may make voters even in the BARMM wonder, why did they even consider running in a race where the expected victors come from the ranks of the famous, influential, and possessing th benefit of a well-oiled political machinery?

It is a fact that the voting public across the country has expressed its fatigue and dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs, and no doubt, is eager to cast its vote next year. The Bangsamoro is no exception, and like his counterparts in the rest of the archipelago, is determined to use his vote in the collective attempt to choose better leaders for the next six years. With the BARMM still in its infancy, it is essential that the newly

chosen leaders at the national level are supportive of it and its future.

Some of the political mavericks mentioned earlier happen to have leanings supportive of BARMM and the Bangsamoro people. Should the Bangsamoro voters, then, put up a gamble and support these candidates with their votes in the 2022 polls?

It will indeed be a gamble, but if the Bangsamoro people will be viewed by candidates with more respect and consider them as a force to be reckoned with every election, the former would have to form the solid “Muslim Vote.” The Muslim Vote will not only represent the Muslims on the country as voters and hence, political beings; it will also present them as voters who know what they rightfully want and will collectively vote for anyone who will fight for them in the Congress, Senate, and even up to the halls of Malacañang. Once accomplished, the Muslim Vote and the Bangsamoro voter will no longer be regarded as insignificant and unworthy of attention. In return, such will be a great victory for the Bangsamoro people who have suffered decades of conflict, neglect, poverty, and inequity. It should be really given a good try.

PMT

National News

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

NCMF gets ISO certification; Pangarungan recalls dark past

BY ALI G. MACABALANG Officials, commissioners and heads of bureaus of the NCMF joined Secretary Saidamen Pangarungan on Thursday, Dec. 16 in receiving the symbolic ISO certification from representatives of the international standard-setting body in a formal ceremony at the Park-Inn by Robinson, SM North City in Quezon City.

Chants of Alhamdulillah (Praise unto Allah) were heard while Sec. Pangarungan, Executive Director Taher Lidasan and the heads of NCMF five bureaus were taking turns in receiving framed certifications from officials of the Bureau Viritas, an ISO component.

In his speech, Sec. Pangarungan appreciated receiving the ISO recognition, and conveyed the NCMF family’s vow to live by or even improve whatever management and operational feats that impresses the global certifying body.

“We have started our ISO journey, and we will not rest on our laurels. Now more than ever, we need to back up our accomplishments and show all of the Filipinos that the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos has arrived. And Muslim Filipinos, if given the opportunity, can excel in government service,” he said.

Pangarungan recalled that when President Duterte named him NCMF secretary in July 2018, he was met upon office assumption with “a clear yearning for change and reform” in the agency.

“The Commission had (faced) sometimes vicious but mostly valid criticisms. There were scandals like the fiasco on the sale by a few NCMF officials of Philippine passports to Indonesian hajj nationals which caught news headlines and national outrage. This tainted the integrity of the very fabric of the Filipino Muslim identity. There were various accusations of corruption and fraud. There was an air of bureaucratic malaise,” he recalled.

“And when I entered the fray, I said to myself, this cannot continue anymore. Armed with marching order from the President, I (joined the NCMF) to reform, to right the wrongs, and to give what the Muslim Filipinos deserve,” he said.

But he admitted difficulty in initiating reforms: “It was not a walk in the park. It was met by fierce resistance by those who refused change. To dishearten my resolve, I was viciously maligned on social media. I had experienced the most virulent attacks against my person and honor. Cases of every denomination were filed against me in all fora by those who wanted to replace me as Secretary.”

“Alhamdulillah, Allah is great and just. These cases were either dismissed or archived at best. They did not see the light of day. Not one of these trumped-up charges succeeded to demonize me. Neither did it work to block my re-appointment as NCMF Secretary for a second term. And now, we are reaping the fruits of all our efforts,” he stressed.

Because his first appointment in the NCMF was made on the verge of preparations for the 2018 annual hajj, he said, his immediate remedial efforts tackled the agency’s administration of the Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca). The performance of hajj is obligatory to qualified Muslim as one of five pillars of Islam.

In the Philippines, the NCMF which evolved originally the Philippine Pilgrimage Authority and Office on Muslim Affairs to its present name is mandated to administer the hajj. Pangarungan’s reforms in the hajj practices drew mileage.

“We reformed the Hajj by providing the best accommodation to thousands of Filipino pilgrims in 4.7 to 5 star hotels in Saudi Arabia. This is many times better than the sorry decrepit housing in the past. We re-

duced the Mutawiff or Hajj service fees and plane fares substantially. We succeeded in negotiating the waiver of outstanding debts of previous Philippine hajj missions,” Pangarungan siad.

He said his administration “activated and implemented the 24 mandates of the Commission as provided in the NCMF Charter including national peacebuilding through Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, the development to greater heights of halal, Shariah, Islamic finance and the Madrasah educational system.”

He said the NCMF has also “pro-actively responded to the challenges of the Covid19 pandemic through our on-going relief operations and other assistance to the calls for help by more than 200,000 Muslim families nationwide.”

“With these features of good governance by NCMF’s process owners, we succeeded in our (bid for) ISO 9001:2015 Certification with zero nonconformity. We elevated the NCMF status from a lowly state to professional excellence in government service. This we accomplished with the pandemic in the background,” Pangarungan pointed out.

In Filipino, Sec. Pangarungan capped his speech to thank the entire NMCF rank and file personnel for cooperating with the reform initiatives, and President Duterte, Senator Bong Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea for giving him the opportunity to serve the Commission that led to the ISO recognition.

About ISO The ISO is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national organizations in 165 countries worldwide, according to Wikipedia.

Born on 23 Feb. 1947, the ISO develops and publishes worldwide technical, industrial and commercial standards. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and works in all member-countries.

It is an independent, non-governmental organization, the members of which are the standards organizations. It is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards, facilitating world trade by providing common standards among nations. More than 20,000 standards have been set, covering everything from manufactured products and technology to food safety, agriculture, and healthcare.

The use of the standards aids in the creation of products and services that are safe, reliable, and of good quality. The standards help businesses increase productivity while minimizing errors and waste. By enabling products from varied markets to be directly compared, they facilitate companies in entering new markets and assist in the development of global trade on a fair basis.

The standards also serve to safeguard consumers and the end-users of products and services, ensuring that certified products conform to the minimum standards set internationally.

The ISO began in the 1920s as the International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA). It was suspended in 1942 during World War II, but after the war ISA was approached by the recently formed United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee (UNSCC) with a proposal to form a new global standards body.

In October 1946, ISA and UNSCC delegates from 25 countries met in London and agreed to join forces to create the new International Organization for Standardization. The new organization officially began operations in Feb. 1947.

(AGM)

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POPCOM projects slowest population rise in 75 years No. of Filipinos increase by merely 0.3% in 2021; total of 109,991,095 by year end The Philippine population is expected to achieve a historic record in 2021, as the total number of Filipinos is projected to increase by only 324,000 for the entire year—just a 0.3% increase compared to 2020.

According to the Commission on Population and Development, this annual “natural increase” is the lowest since the period between 1946 and 1947, when the population grew by 254,000. As such, Filipinos will number 109,991,095 at the end of 2021—lower by 2 million than earlier projections based on a 1.63% population growth rate or PGR. The natural increase in population, or natural population change, refers to the projection based on the number of births minus deaths in a particular time period. POPCOM made the computations based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) vital statistics preliminary reports for the period spanning January 2020 to August 2021.

POPCOM also noted that the natural increase in population in 2020 was 914,797 with reference to PSA’s vital statistics, which placed the population at the end of 2020 at 109,667,216. The natural increase in population that year was 0.79%.

“Filipinos remain prudent by continuing to delay having children or forming families during the combined economic crisis and Covid-19 health emergency. Couples in growing numbers continue to avail of family planning commodities and services in all regions of the country, with 8 million users of modern family planning methods in 2020—an addition of about 500,000 from 2019,” Population and Development (POPDEV) Undersecretary Dr. Juan A. Perez III explained.

POPCOM’s executive director also emphasized that the last two years of low increases in population provide opportunities of attaining a more stable population that can support socioeconomic development at the national and household levels if integrated population and development interventions are sustained. This demographic situation, he cautioned, should be appreciated vis-à-vis the pandemic’s effect that has caused rather unusual fertility behaviors, such as delay in family formation, couples’ unions and increasing contraceptive usage, which need to be investigated further.

Nonetheless, Usec. Perez noted that the low 2020 -2021 population growth enables a greater chance for the country and households to recover from the Covid-19 outbreak, given the national and local governments’ increased capabilities in providing quality services to Filipinos.

“If integrated population and development measures are sustained, we can look forward to a more stable population that can effectively support Philippine development. Smaller family sizes need to be supported by a national living wage structure that also allows parents to save for their households’ unmet needs in food, housing and education. Uneven regional wage structures only lead to individuals falling further behind than those in progressive areas such as the National Capital Region, CALABARZON and Central Luzon,” he further asserted.

The POPCOM chief also said that the agency’s projected population for 2021 does not yet cover international migration during the year, and that the civil registration data as reported by PSA is also subject to underreporting and late reporting. POPCOM, he assured, will update this projection as soon as data becomes available. (PR)

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News

Malaysia flood evacuees rise to 64K, 8 deaths reported

South Korea pardons ex-president jailed for corruption

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STANBUL – South Korea on Friday pardoned former President Park Geun-hye, who was serving a 22-year jail term for corruption.

The government said the move to release Park, who was impeached in 2017 and convicted of abuse of power, coercion and bribery a year later, will “help bolster national unity” ahead of next March’s presidential election.

Park became South Korea’s first woman president in 2013 and the country’s first democratically elected leader to be removed from office.

She is among 3,094 prisoners scheduled to be freed on New Year’s Eve, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Given her support base in Daegu and the North Gyeongsang province, a stronghold of the main opposition People Power Party, her release is likely to have a “significant impact” on the presidential election, the report said.

President Moon Jae-in’s government has also announced it will exonerate Han Myeong-sook, South Korea’s first woman prime minister who served a two-year prison term from 2015 to 2017 for bribery.

The decisions have been taken as part of efforts to overcome the nationwide crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by moving forward “from the unfortunate history of the past and achieving a grand unity among the people,” the government said.

Justice Minister Park Beom-kye said Park’s deteriorating health was a “very important” factor in the decision to release the 69-year-old former president.

She remains hospitalized at Samsung Medical Center in southern Seoul, where she is expected to remain as her private home was auctioned off.

This is her third time in a hospital this year due to chronic shoulder and lower back pain, having already undergone surgery on her shoulder in 2019.

Park thanked Moon for pardoning her “despite difficulties.”

South Korea’s top court had upheld Park’s 20-year prison sentence in January this year.

Most of the charges she was convicted on related to bribery and coercion, including colluding with longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil to force conglomerates such as electronics giant Samsung and retail chain Lotte to donate millions of dollars to foundations run by Choi.

The former president was also found guilty of accepting money from three former chiefs of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service between May 2013 and September 2016.

(Anadolu)

KUALA LUMPUR – Eight people have been reported dead due to severe flooding in Malaysia as of Monday, authorities in Selangor state said.

Selangor police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed said floods hit various districts in Selangor and claimed eight lives so far, according to state news agency Bernama.

The number of displaced persons due to flooding in Malaysia has risen to over 64,000 in seven states plus the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur as of 10:00 p.m. local time Monday, according to data from the Malaysian social welfare department.

The worst-hit state is Pahang along the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, with over 34,000 people being evacuated to flood relief centers, followed by Selangor state with over 24,000 evacuated.

The flood situation in the capital of Kuala Lumpur has eased in part due to its flood mitigation facility, known as the SMART Tunnel, the company managing the tunnel said in a statement.

The tunnel, which is designed to capture floodwater before pumping it out via a drainage network, had been activated at around 8:00 p.m. Sun-

ister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement that more resources including personnel and equipment are being deployed to aid with evacuation and flood relief.

He also sought to calm the public, with many still being trapped in areas that are still flooded in

I

Led by the university president Yasuhiro Tsukamoto, 52, the team believes the masks “will offer users an easy way to test whether they have contracted the virus.”

“A coronavirus sample glows on a face mask filter under an ultraviolet light after being sprayed with a fluorescent dye containing antibodies,” the report said.

The team developed a special filter that is placed inside the face mask.

“The filter can be taken out and sprayed with a fluorescent dye containing the coronavirus antibodies from the ostrich eggs. If the virus is present, the filter will glow when shone under ultraviolet light,” it added.

Experiments were done for 10 days with 32 people infected with the coronavirus. In all cases, the scientists found that “all the masks they wore glowed under the UV light, which faded as time went by and their viral load decreased.”

If all goes well with the ongoing testing, the team hopes to gain approval from Japanese authorities to sell the masks next year.

Last February, the researchers had injected “an inactive and non-threatening form of the coronavirus into female ostriches.”

The experiment was successful since a huge quantity of antibodies were extracted from the ostriches' eggs.

“Ostriches are capable of producing several different kinds of antibody, or proteins that neutralize foreign entities in the body,” the report said.

“We can mass-produce antibodies from ostriches at a low cost. In the future, I want to make this into an easy testing kit that anyone can use,” Tsukamoto said.

(Anadolu)

MALAYSIA FLOODS. Flood victims wade through a flooded road in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia on Monday (Dec. 20, 2021). Eight people have been reported dead due to severe flooding in Malaysia as of Monday, authorities in Selangor state said. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

day, with some 4.9 million square meters of floodwater being diverted from the capital, it said.

The country's meteorological department has warned of more rain in the Peninsula Malaysia, with rains expected in several states on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Prime Min-

parts of the country.

"I completely understand the public's concern about the safety of those stranded by floods and as I have stressed before, rescue efforts are being intensified and rescue operations are being carried out nonstop," he said. (Xinhua)

More than 3.3M people died from Covid-19 in 2021: WHO chief

Japan develops glowing masks to detect coronavirus STANBUL – Scientists in Japan have developed masks that “can trace coronavirus” after being exposed to ultraviolet light (UV).

A team of scientists at Kyoto Prefectural University in western Japan developed the masks using antibodies extracted from ostrich eggs, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

G

ENEVA – More than 3.3 million people have lost their lives to Covid-19 this year – more deaths than from HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), malaria and tuberculosis combined in 2020, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said the novel coronavirus continues to claim around 50,000 lives worldwide every week, but he told journalists that "2022 should be the year we end the pandemic" with the tools the world has at its disposal.

Tedros was speaking at the first hybrid press conference held by the WHO for journalists from the United Nations in Geneva and the first such meeting since July 2020 that Anadolu Agency facilitated.

"The last time we hosted you, in July last year, none of us could have imagined that almost 18 months later, we would still be in the grip of the pandemic," said the WHO chief of a meeting for journalists with the ACANU

Wearing personal protective equipment funeral officers carry out burials at the Rorotan Public Cemetery, North Jakarta, on June 25, 2021. (Dasril Roszandi - Anadolu Agency)

association of UN correspondents.

Omicron spreading fast Tedros also spoke about the latest variant of Covid19 that has hit the world, saying "there is now consistent evidence that omicron is spreading significantly faster than the delta variant."

There are also the unreported deaths and the millions of excess deaths caused by disruptions to essential health services, he said.

Just one month ago, he explained that Africa was reporting its lowest number of cases in 18 months.

"Last week, it reported the fourth-highest number of cases in a single week so far. Africa is now facing a steep wave of infections, driven largely by the omicron variant," said Tedros.

The WHO chief also noted that people who have been vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 are more likely to become infected or reinfected from the omicron variant.

"All of us are sick of this pandemic. All of us want to spend time with friends and family. All of us want to get back to normal," he said.

Tedros cautioned that many countries traditionally plan gatherings that can draw crowds over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays and suggested they should reconsider events.

"Countries should be more careful and restrict mass crowds during this festival period. Postponing such organizations during this period will save more lives," he added.

As of Dec. 20, there have been 273,900,334 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 5,351,812 deaths, reported to WHO. (Anadolu)

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DEED OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: This EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE is made, executed and entered into by the HEIRS OF NORHAYA PASAGI EPPIE, namely; SHAINOLLAH PASAGI EPPIE, of legal age, married, Filipino, and resident of Kapai, Lanao Del Sur; JOMAHALIH PASAGI EPPIE, of legal age, married Filipino, and a resident of Balindong, Lanao Del Sur, herein referred to as HEIR; SARAH SITTEN PASAGI EPPIE-RAMOS, of legal age, married, Filipino, and resident of Balindong, Lanao Del Sur, herein referred to as HEIR; BASHER PASAGI EPPIE JR., of legal age, married, Filipino and a resident of Piagapo, Lanao Del Sur, herein referred to as HEIR; MOHAMMAD YSMAEL PASAGI EPPIE, legal age, single, Filipino and a resident of Maria Cristina, Iligan City, herein referred to as HEIR; FATIMA LYKA PASAGI EPPIE, legal age, single, Filipino and a resident of Maria Cristina, Iligan City, herein referred to as HEIR; AMERLY FATTAH PASAGI EPPIE, of legal age, married, Filipino and a resident of Bagong Silang, Iligan City, herein referred to as HEIR; AMER HASSAN PASAGI EPPIE, of legal age, married, Filipino and a resident of balindong, Lanao Del Sur, herein referred to as HEIR; PRINCE ABDULLAH II PASAGI EPPIE, of legal age, single, Filipino and a resident of Maria Cristina, Iligan City, herein referred to as HEIR; WITNESSETH: 1.

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Whereas, the above-named HEIR are the legitimate children’s and surviving lawful heirs of the late NORHAYA PASAGI EPPIE, who died on April 23, 2021 at Wato Balindong, Lanao Del Sur, without last will or testament, and without outstanding debts or accounts; Whereas, the above-mentioned deceased is entitled for Retirement Benefit, Cash Surrender Value (CSV) and Funeral benefit (FB) at GSIS, formerly employed with DEPED ARMM, Balindong Dist; That pursuant to Section 1 of Rule 74 of the Revised Rules of Court of the Philippines, and all being with full capacity to contract, we do hereby adjudicate unto ourselves the above -mentioned property, in equal shares pro indiviso; That we hereby affirm that we have executed the foregoing instrument out of our own voluntary free will without force, intimidation or violence upon our person, that we have hereby received our just and proper share and have no claim or demand against each other;

(SGD) SHAINOLLAH PASAGI EPPIE Heir

(SGD) JOMAHALIH PASAGI EPPIE Heir

Vol. II, No. 28 | December 24-30, 2021 (Jumadil Awwal 19-25, 1443)

AFFIDAVIT OF ADJUDICATION/EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That we, the HEIRS OF THE LATE NERISA OLIMBA ARTIAGA namely: RUBEN A. ARTIAGA, surviving spouse, RISHELLE O. ARTIAGA, QUEENLY O. ARTIAGA, both of legal age, and KEESHA QUEEN O. ARTIAGA, minor, Filipinos, and residents of Iligan City, represented by her father, RUBEN A. ARTIAGA, by these presents, freely and spontaneously, do hereby: DECLARE AND MAKE MANIFEST 1 — That we are the legal heirs of the late THE LATE NERISA OLIMBA ARTIAGA, who died on December 19, 2020 in Iligan City; 2 — That to the best of our knowledge and information the deceased, NERISA OLIMBA ARTIAGA, died without a will and without any known debt; 3 — That THE LATE NERISA OLIMBA ARTIAGA, left a Savings Account with RCBC Iligan Branch under Savings Account No. 0000009015341160 with a balance amounting to SEVENTYFOUR THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED TEN and FIFTY-SEVEN CENTAVOS (P74,810.57); 4 — That as legal heirs of the above-named late spouses, with full capacity to contract, we have agreed, as we hereby agree, to divide, settle and adjudicate among ourselves the above -described personal property in equal shares and pro-indiviso manner pursuant to Rule 74, Sec. 1 of the Rules of Court, without judicial proceedings as prescribed in the aforementioned Rules of Court; 5 — That by virtue of these presents we, RUBEN A, ARTIAGA, and QUEENLY O. ARTIAGA do hereby name, constitute and appoint, RISHELLE O. ARTIAGA, to be our true and lawful attorney-in-fact for us and in our names, place and stead and to do and perform all or any of the following acts and things, to wit: [1] To appear before the RCBC Iligan Branch and withdraw the amount in the aforementioned Savings Account; [2] To make, execute and sign any document related thereto deliver to us our share of said property; HEREBY GIVING AND GRANTING unto my said attorney -in-fact full power and authority whatsoever requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises as fully to all intents and purposes as we might or could lawfully do if personally present and hereby ratifying and confirming all that our said attorney -in-fact shall do or cause to be done by virtue of these presents.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto affixed their signatures at Iligan City this 12th day of November 2021.

RUBEN A. ARTIAGA Heir/Principal

(SGD) FATIMA LYKA PASAGI EPPIE Heir

(SGD) (SGD) AMERLY FATTAH PASAGI EPPIE AMER HASSAN PASAGI EPPIE Heir Heir (SGD) PRINCE ABDULLAH II PASAGI EPPIE Heir

KEESHA QUEEN O. ARTIAGA Heir/Principal

QUEENLY O. ARTIAGA Heir/Principal

Represented by FATHER:

RUBEN A. ARTIAGA

(SGD) (SGD) SARAH SITTEN PASAGI EPPIE-RAMOS BASHER PASAGI EPPI JR. Heir Heir (SGD) MOHAMMAD YSMAEL PASAGI EPPIE Heir

A7

RISHELLE O. ARTIAGA Heir/Atty-in-fact Signed in the presence of: 1. LEONETA B. MAGDASAL

2. RUTCHEL UY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Republic of the Philippines) City of Iligan) Sc. X-------------------------------x

SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF: (SGD) NORALA M. MACARAMPAT Witness

(SGD) NORMIA D. AMPUAN Witness

NAME RUBEN A. ARTIAGA QUEENLY O. ARTIAGA RISHELLE O. ARTIAGA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Republic of the Philippines) City of Iligan- - - - - - - - - -) S.S. BEFORE ME, a Notary Public, for and in the City of Iligan, this November day of 25 2021, personally appeared: Name

Identification Card

Issued On/At

SHAINOLLAH PASAGI EPPIE JOMAHALIH PASAGI EPPIE SARAH SITTEN PASAGI EPPIE-RAMOS BASHER PASAGI EPPIE JR. MOHAMMAD YSMAEL PASAGI EPPIE FATIMA LYKA PASAGI EPPIE AMERLY FATTAH PASAGI AMER HASSAN PASAGI EPPIE PRINCE ABDULLAH II PASAGI EPPIE All known to me to be the same persons who executed the foregoing instrument and hereby acknowledged to me that the same is their free and voluntary act and deed.

This instrument consisting of two (2) pages, including this page on which this acknowledgement is written refers to an EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE and has been signed by the parties and their witnesses and sealed with my notarial seal.

WITNESS MY HAND AND NOTARIAL SEAL.

Doc. No. 173 Page No. 35 Book No. VII Series of 2021

BEFORE ME, at Iligan City, this 12th day of November 2021 personally appeared with their respective valid identification cards the following, to wit:

(SGD) ATTY. SAIDALI C. GANDAMRA NOTARY PUBLIC UNTIL DEC. 31, 2021 COMMISSION NO. 20-263 PTR NO. 9867914 1/4/21 1.C. IBP LIFETIME NO. 05046 ROLL NO. 39814 MCLE COMPL. NO. VI-00002 95/ //154

PMT: Dec. 3-9, 2021; Dec. 10-16, 2021; Dec. 17-23, 2021.

VALID ID DATE / PLACE OF ISSUE

All known to me known to be the same persons who executed the foregoing instrument and they acknowledged to me that the same is their free and voluntary act and deed.

The instrument refers to an extrajudicial settlement of an intestate estate with special power of attorney consisting of two (2) pages including this page on which the acknowledgement is written and signed by the parties and their instrumental witnesses at the left margin of the first page and in the body of the last page.

Witness My Hand and Seal at the place and on date abovestated.

(SGD) ATTY. EMMANUEL C. SALIBAY NOTARY PUBLIC Iligan City and Lanao del Norte Notarial Commission No. 21-314 Until December 31, 2022 IBP Life Member No. 08289 PTR. No. 9831883, January 07, 2021 (Iligan City) MCLE Compliance No. VI-0000316, July 18, 2016 Attorney’s Roll No. 48931 TIN No. 166-615-120 Doc. No. 113; Page No. 23; Book No. XX; Series of 2021.

PMT: Dec. 10-16, 2021; Dec. 17-23, 2021; Dec, 24-30, 2021.