Mindanao Daily News (December 23, 2022)

BARMM to empower more local schools

First BARMM Educ Summit aims to promote peace through education

DAVAO CITYMinisters of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), local educational institutions, and educators were all present at the first ever BARMM Education Summit, which was recently held at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang. This gathering of key stakeholders was organized to discuss ways to use education as a means of promoting peace and regional development.

Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) Chief Mohager Iqbal and the rest of the ministry led the proceedings at the event. All the attendees contributed to a focused, intensive, and inclusive consultations on continuing education and grassroots development for the education sector in the region.

Iqbal, in his State of the Education Address emphasized that “education is a pillar of nation-building.”

“It can help society sustainably and logically sustain and overcome significant impediments – poverty, injustice, corruption, and conflict,” the Education Minister said.

Iqbal also read a message from Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte. Duterte’s letter highlighted the role of education in post-conflict reconstruction and in sustaining the gains of peace. “We counteract violent extremism by nurturing among our children and youth the values of inclusion, tolerance, conflict resolution, and non-violence,” she underscored. “Let us work together to reshape the future of BARMM by strengthening our education system, filling the learning gaps caused by the pandemic and instituting a culture of peace curricu -

lum to ensure a successful post-conflict reconstruction,” the Vice President and Department of Education Secretary concluded.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Embrahim also delivered a video message, wherein he hoped that the

first education summit will be a fundamental avenue for nation-building. “The Education Summit is an opportunity to replicate the message of how significant education and literacy are in nationbuilding. It is also a venue

to strengthen and empower local school boards, school governing councils, and parent-teacher associations,” he emphasized.

The Chief Minister shared that he envisioned “an inclusive education

PEACE Advocates in BARMM

Office of Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) in cooperation with Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) had their peace conference at Kampilan Lounge 6ID,DOS Maguindanao del Norte.

A Pledge of commitment between OPARU, SPDA, MNLF simultaneous moral governance initiatives for socio-economic peace development and national security focusing BARMM areas.

Agri-Business Project of SPDA in was held recently in MNLF Community in Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur headed by SPDA Administrator and CEO ABDULGANI

“GERRY” SALPUDDIN and Vice-Chairman Deputy Speaker Ustadz Abdulkarim Tan Misuari agreed and committed to work together for the smooth implementation of the said project site.3

OPAPRU National Secretary General Carlito Galvez (ret), SPDA Administrator Gerry Salapuddin, MNLF Vice-chairman deputy speaker Ustadz Abdulkarim Tan Misuari, Mr. Tawgan Kikay of MFAR-BARMM, Sultan Mastura Manabilang of Amai Manabilang,6ID Commanding General MGEN ROY GALIDO, GPH CCCH/AHJAG Sec COL JOEL MAM0N TF CENTRAL Commander COL JOE VLADIMIR, SULU MP ATTY BONG PARCASIO, MP FAISAL KARON & MP ABDULAZIZ AMENODEN participated the peace advocacy meeting.

Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) Chief Mohager Iqbal (front, left) cutting the ribbon with MBHTE Deputy Minister Haron Meling (front, right) UNICEF Mindanao Field Office Chief Radoslaw Rzehak (front, 2nd from right) at the first ever BARMM Education Summit at the SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang.

By: Chuck Salapuddin/ Shammah Sunga MDN BARMM

C. Luzon expressway extension to open in first half of 2023

By Ferdinand Patinio MANILA

– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking to operate a portion of the expressway in Central Luzon at the connection of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)/Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) in Tarlac City, Tarlac up to San Juan, Aliaga, Nueva Ecija toward the first half of 2023.

In his report to Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Senior Undersecretary Emil Sa -

dain said the DPWH Unified Project Management Office - Roads Management Cluster 1 (DPWH UPMO RMC 1) is working to complete an additional 7-kilometer segment from Guimba-Aliaga Road intersection to San Juan Interchange that will extend to 25 kilometers the already accessible 18-kilometer section of the Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX).

“The DPWH UPMO RMC 1 team with the contractors and consultants

Invitation to Bid for the Sale thru Public Auction

The City Government of Cagayan de Oro, through the Committee on Disposal, intends to dispose various unserviceable equipment and vehicles by selling thru public auction on an “AS IS, WHERE IS” basis.

The City Government of Cagayan de Oro now invites bids for:

have worked hard to overcome challenges along the way, such as bad weather, right of way issues, difficulty in the transport of construction materials and Covid-19 impact that caused some delays,” he said.

Other than the fourlane, two-way expressway with a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour, the DPWH is also undertaking the construction of three interchanges – Zaragoza, Aliaga, and San Juan that will allow motorists from

the secondary and provincial roads to access CLLEX.

Once completed, the 30-kilometer CLLEX Project will facilitate fast, safe, comfortable and reliable means of transport in Central Luzon as it forms an important east-west link for the expressway network of Region 3 to ensure a continuous and seamless traffic flow for motorists to and from Metro Manila, passing through NLEX, SCTEX/TPLEX.

This project is part of the government’s vision of

easing traffic congestion and will shorten the usual travel time of 70 minutes between Tarlac City and Cabanatuan City to just 20 minutes. The project is one of the key infrastructures with funding assistance from the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It is included in the Luzon Spine Expressway Network projects aimed at reducing travel time from the northernmost part of Luzon, Ilocos, to the southern most part, Bicol, by over 50 percent via the construction of a high standard highway network.

During the inspection on Dec. 19, 2022, Sadain instructed the DPWH UPMO RMC 1 project supervision team of project engineers Manuel Monfort, Juancho Hernandez, and Albert Manuel and the contractors to put more resources in the project and accelerate their work.

The DPWH UPMO together with Nueva Ecjia

Set up common areas for fireworks display, PBBM tells LGUs

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures to determine the highest tender or offer.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Committee on Disposal thru its Secretariat at the City General Services Office, City Hall, Cagayan de Oro City and inspect the unserviceable equipment and vehicles at the above said locations from December 26-29, 2022 during official working hours.

Bid Forms may be acquired by interested Bidders from the Committee on Disposal thru its Secretariat not later than 5:00 PM of December 29, 2022.

Submission and opening of Bids shall be on January 11, 2023 at 2:00 PM at the Office of the Bids and Awards Committee, 3rd Floor, Administrative Bldg., City Hall, Cagayan de Oro City. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. Bid tender or offer must be accompanied by bidder’s bond in cash or cashier’s check in an amount equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Total Minimum Selling Price or Floor Price.

The City Government of Cagayan de Oro reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

(SGD) ROXANNE MAE A. RAVIDAS Acting City General Services Officer

TO THE PUBLIC

Is hereby declared null and void. The said receipt was lost in our files and may have been stolen. Thus, the use of said Official Receipt is non-official and will not be honored by the Management of Mindanao Daily News Publishing Corporation. The user could be held criminally liable.

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos MANILA

–

President

Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday urged the local government units (LGUs) to set up a common area in their respective localities for fireworks display during New Year revelries.

Marcos made the call to reduce the incidence of firecracker-related injuries in the country.

"Ang gawin na lang natin ay (What I will do is) I will enjoin the LGUs, instead of allowing our people to have their own firecrackers, gumawa na lang kayo ng magandang fireworks display para sa inyong mga constituent (just organize fireworks display for your constituents)," he said in a chance interview after

leading the distribution of Christmas gifts and livelihood aid to children and families in Manila.

Marcos also asked Filipinos to refrain from using illegal firecrackers to avoid injuries.

This, as he warned against the dangers and health effects of reckless and indiscriminate use of firecrackers.

"Huwag muna tayong magpaputok at alam naman natin kung minsan delikado ‘yan. Lalo ngayon at maglalabas sila ng mga paputok na hindi natin alam kung saan galing, kung maayos ang pagkagawa (Let us avoid the use of firecrackers because it's dangerous, especially now that there are

(File photo courtesy of DPWH)

AL JACINTO - Z a MB oanga - 0917-710-3642

OSCAR LEDESMA - B ukidnon - 0905-692-5925

Kim’s Dream

People Disempowerment: Root Cause of Poverty

So much has been said about people power, yet, the day-to-day life of the Filipinos speak otherwise! The truth is, the people are so powerless and their lack of power is the root cause of their poverty. For having no power to rectify social wrongs, social injustice looms in many ways and continues without let-up that imprisons the marginalized sectors inside the vicious cycle of dire poverty.

This truism is very glaring in the life of the Filipino farmers who are tilling the land not their own; and if they do, are held bondage to a mode of production that they do not control. Even if they are able to increase their productivity, they have yet to reckon with oppressive marketing system that rendered their farming non-viable.

Thus, everyone is profiting from farming – the fertilizer and chemical dealers, the financiers and usurers, the compradors and what have you – but never those who are breaking their backs to make the land productive, exposed to the excruciating heat of the sun and the lashing of the rains. This truism has been reinforced by the

research-study of the United Nations’ Food Agricultural Organization citing that “agriculture in the Philippines has only contributed .02 per cent to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in the last decade.” In fact, 3 of 4 young farmers have already left farming and have gone to the urban centers to work as janitors, drivers, waiters or what have you.

All these years, the Filipino farmers live in poverty, victims of conventional agriculture being promoted by a department that seems subservient to the interest of big agri-business corporations. When I have known this truism in the nineteen nineties, I resigned as Chief Information Officer of the Department of Agriculture as the DA was headed by no less than Secretary Arturo Tangco who was also the Chair of the Planters’ Product Company.

Must not a farmer be in control of their farming, the seeds, the farm inputs? That should go with the profession, isn’t it? If lawyers have law books and carpenters have tools, what do the farmers have under their control?

Where are the indigenous seeds that they once

Hints and Traces

Finally, Christmas!

INDEED, a day of great joy! The Son of God, the perfect image that God has of himself and the image after whom we are patterned, is finally born to be with us and to give us “the way, the truth and the life” that is proper to us.

We should have no doubt about who we really are. That God has to become man to save us from our state of exile and alienation due to our sin, can only mean that we are meant to be God’s image and likeness, sharers of his divine life and nature. We need to start to level up, leaving behind the gaps about our true identity and dignity.

This can happen if we allow Christ to be born in us. That’s what he likes to do in the first place. He is just waiting for us to correspond properly to his desire. Yes, Christ wants to be born in us. That, in a nutshell, is the meaning of Christmas. All the festivities and merrymaking associated with this day should point us to this happy truth. We have to correspond to it and act on it as best that we can.

Let’s hope that the beau-

tiful decorations we have everywhere, especially the Christmas crèche, Christmas tree, lanterns, the Santa Clauses, etc., lead us to this realization, instead of being distractions or, worse, a sweet poison to our soul.

Let’s hope that when we look at the Child Jesus in the belen, we get moved to thank him for wanting to be born in us, and to promise him that we will do our part to welcome and receive him in the best way we can.

Christ wants to be born in us because he is our savior who comes to re-make us after we have fallen into sin. Let’s remember that we are children of God, made in his image and likeness.

Christ wants to be born in us so he can start and continue with his work of redemption which takes place in the whole span of our earthly life. He wants to grow and live with us, experience what we experience so he can guide us.

But do we welcome him? Are we willing to have Christ in us, to work in us and with us? Do we actively cooperate in his redemptive work in us? Are we willing to be another

have? Why are they now under the mercy of the fertilizer dealers, of the growers of so-called HYVs (high yielding varieties) that are tied-up to the use of heavy farming chemicals? Pity the poor farmers who pay P1,500 for a bag of Ammonium Sulfate that is bought in Ukraine for only P50 because everything that is sold in this country, from needle to fertilizer, passes at least 5 marketing layers.

That kind of powerlessness is seen in the life of the Filipino consumers that must dance to the shameless tune of the unbridle consumerism and materialism at their own expense. Why is this so? Look at our malls. We have become a dumping ground of finished products from all over the world, not to mention the fact that our country is the cheap source of raw material and of fruits that have been grown abundantly here at the expense of the environment and health of the people as plantations

Trans-National Corporations ooze with the use of

Christ, “alter Christus,” as we ought to be, so we can recover and enrich the dignity God intended for us?

We have to convince ourselves that it is very doable for us to allow Christ to be born in us. This is no fantasy. On the part of God, he is already giving us everything that we need for this wonderful divine will of his to be carried out.

On our part, it is also very doable, because all we have to do is to be open to this divine will and act on it as best that we can. Christ can be born in us by allowing him to enter first into our mind and heart which are the proper places for him to be with us.

Let us get our mind and heart to be engaged with him, knowing him more, increasingly developing the ability to know his will and ways, being docile to his promptings that we can discern in our consciences. And from there, let’s make Christ reign and rule over all our other faculties— emotions, passions, appetites, urges, instincts, etc.

ALLAN MARIO MEDIANTE Vice President

RUFINO

VICENTE C. DELA VICTORIA Vice

RENE MICHAEL BAÑOS Vice President for Special Projects

DANTE SUDARIA, JR. Vice President for Digital ROSE MARY D. SUDARIA, PhD Vice president for FINANCE

Orlan R. Ravanera

Roy Cimagala

Poverty... from page 4

heavy chemicals.

There is a law of nature that says, “Everything goes somewhere else.” All these non-biodegradable toxic chemicals, while vanishing in our sights, find their way in the water table, in the wind and ultimately, in our bodies.

One concrete manifestation not only of people’s lack of power but of social injustice is on the existence of socalled Electric Cooperatives that are giving light to their member consumers yet have put them in the dark with regards to issue of ownership.

The Thirteen (13) million member-consumer-owners (MCOs) are paying capital member contributions in the form of loan amortization and reinvestment which when consolidated will reach a gargantuan amount of more than one trillion pesos paid in the last 60 years. Are these contributions recognized as their capital shares? No.

Isn’t it a great injustice?

from page 1 FOR ADS PLACEMENT CALL OR TEXT: 0917-712-1424 • 0947-893-5776 mindanaodaily.ads@gmail.com Editor: Allan Mediante

Today, we are afraid that their dream to own and manage these multi-billion electric utilities that they rightfully own will vanish in the air. It is now appearing that there is no more chance that these ECs be converted anymore as genuine cooperatives. The lobbying of the much feared energy Cartel has made sure of that. I

guess their greed to control these utilities came from a concrete analysis that those who would control electricity, the key industry, will also control big business that they also own.

It is disheartening to note that during these days of political exercises, you always hear the words people power from those who by their acts, are rendering the people powerless.

Beware of these leaders and be conscious to where we put power. You put power in the hands of the loggers, you witnessed the vanishing of the 17 million hectares of dipterocarp forest that we once have. This is because they have been empowered to log the forest by virtue of political patronage.

You put power in the hands of the Cartels, then you will experience so much poverty in the land of the plenty. We must therefore PUT POWER WHERE IT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS, THAT IS, WITH THE PEOPLE – AND TO REMAIN THERE!

rently implementing the construction of 250 barangays halls across the region, with another 100 next year. He said the goal is to complete 600 village halls by 2025 which the BARMM government promised to the LGUs of the region.

Fireworks... from page 2

illegal traders who will sell firecrackers that could endanger lives),” Marcos said.

On Tuesday, Department of Health (DOH) officerin-charge Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire noted a downward trend in firecracker-related injuries in the country, citing figures in recent years.

Around 122 cases of fireworks-related injuries were recorded in 2020 and 128 cases in 2021, Vergeire said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier reminded the public not to patronize illegal firecrackers that are harmful to the people.

la who said, “We have been longing to have a barangay hall for a long time, even if is it’s just one, it’s a big thing for us, how much more if we have five barangay halls? Thank you so much to the Bangsamoro Government.”

According to Minister Sinarimbo, MILG is cur-

The PNP is currently ramping up its efforts to conduct cyber patrol, confiscation and destruction of banned firecrackers and pyrotechnics.

The move aims to ensure that firecracker and pyrotechnic dealers, sellers and manufacturers comply with the implementing rules and guidelines stated under Republic Act (RA) 7183 and

Executive Order (EO) 28.

Under RA 7183, any person who will be caught manufacturing, selling, distributing or using illegal firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices will face a fine of PHP20,000 to PHP30,000, imprisonment of six months to one year, cancellation of license and business permit and confiscation of inventory stocks.

On the other hand, EO 28 issued in 2017 promulgates stricter rules and regulations on the use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices to prevent injuries and casualties recorded every year. (PNA)

Empower... from page 1 Expressway... from page 2

First and Second District Engineering Offices are also continuously working on the processing of right-of-way claims.

Delayed reimbursement or payment of affected property is due to the difficulty of right-of-way claimants to comply with the documentary requirements and problems on establishing proof of ownership, among others.

The most common of these problems are the cancellations of encumbrance/s on the land titles and payment of corresponding estate taxes for the registered deceased landowners and the change of creditor’s name. (PNA)

for all learners and educators”. “We do not choose whom to teach and who will teach. We aspire for a Bangsamoro Region where no learner is left behind and no educator feels unappreciated, underserved,

Regine Pagara, a 22-year-old student taking up Bachelor in Technology and Livelihood Education, wins as Miss Salay Community College Intramurals 2022 during the pageant held over the weekend in Salay, Misamis Oriental.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

or unheard,” he concluded. The BARMM Education Summit is the culmination of earlier local education summits conducted in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and the Special Geographic Area