Bangsamoro history month concludes thru highlighting significance of CAB

BY MAJID NUR/BIO

MARAWI CITY Theinflation rate across the Bangsamoro region decreased to 7.5 percent in February 2023 compared to January 2023 inflation rate of 7.8 percent, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority(PSA-BARMM).

Region VIII or Eastern Visayas Region remained to have the lowest inflation rate at 6.3 percent, followed by Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at second with 7.1 percent, and Region XII or SOCCSKSARGEN Region with third lowest inflation rate at 7.4 percent.

BARMM ranked fourth with the lowest inflation rate among all the regions in the country.

PSA RSSO-BARMM

OIC-Regional Director Engr. Akan Tula stated that the region’s inflation was mainly brought about by the higher annual increase in the index for

MARAWI CITY Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism (MTIT) is continuously conducting price monitoring of basic necessities across the Bangsamoro region to ensure stable prices during the Holy month of Ramadhan.

Hamida Ebus Yacob, MTIT's Chief of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protec-

Restaurant and Accommodation Services at 12.3 percent, Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels at 4.7 percent, and Recreation, Sport, and Culture at 3.9 percent.

“Also contributing to the uptrend in the overall inflation during the period were the higher annual increments in the indices of the following commodity groups as compared with their previous month’s inflation rates are Personal Care, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services at 3.0 percent; Information and Communication at 1.7 percent,” Tulasaid.

He further said that annual upticks slowed down in the indices of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at 9.1 percent and Transport at3.0 percent.

Tula also stated that commodity groups that retained their previous months inflation rate in- clude Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at 6.9 percent; Furnishing, Household Equipment, and Routine Maintenance of the House at 3.8 percent; Education Services at 3.7 percent; Clothing and Footwear at3.1 percent; Health,1.2 percent; and Financial Services at 0.0 percent.

Among the provinces in BARMM, Tawi-Tawi recorded the highest inflation rate at 10.9 percent, followed by Basilan at 9.5 percent, Lanao Del Sur at 9.4 percent, Maguindanao at 6.4 percent, and Sulu with the lowest inflation rate at 4.0 percent.

PSA’s report also mentioned that Cotabato City dropped its inflation rate to 6.6 percent this February 2023 compared to the 7.4 percent inflation rate in January 2023.

(BIO/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)

COTABATO CITY The significance of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), a peace accord in the region, is one of the most highlighted topics discussed in the peace forum held during the culmination of the Bangsamoro history month on Friday, Mar 31, hat the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC), Bangsamoro Government Center,in thiscity.

CAB is an accord between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Philippines (GPH) signed on March 27, 2014.

According to Member of Parliament (MP) Marjanie Macasalong, the importance of the CAB, among others, is that most of the previous agreements were included in it, such as Tripoli, Final Peace Agreement of 1996, which led to the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), among others.

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Prior to the signing of Bangsamoro Organic Law, many local agreements signed between MILFGPH, especially on security aspect were also included; hopefully, to pave the way to lasting peace in the Bangsamoro,” Macasalong said, who also chairs the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC).

Meanwhile, MP Atty. Mary Ann Arnado said that during the CAB signing, many Indigenous Peoples such as Manobo, Teduray, and Talaandig were performing rituals while celebrating the victory of the peace process outside Malacanang Palace along with evacuees, women, and youth associations.

“We are very happy after 9 years; I think we have [really] moved very far from