OVER HALF-MILLION PEOPLE YEARN FOR PEACE and DETEST WAR: Once peace is just an ambition, now it is one step ahead to achieve

  GM Newsteam

Based on the experience, the youth are the most affected in every war in Mindanao. Their schools, a place where they learn an honest, dignified and productive kind of living, became the shelter of their mother, father, and siblings to avoid the unwanted image of war. 

The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is not just a law with no meaning. The youth as the prime beneficiary of the said law is the vanguard of attaining its genuine meaning and lasting effect. The foundation of a strong nation is the youth, which are properly guided by the principles written in the history books that are kept in school buildings. Once peace is just an ambition, now it is one step ahead to achieve.

The various Moro Youth Movements in Mindanao now demand the immediate passage of the CAB-based BBL.

Ferrer visits Munai for brigada eskwela

 MARIZ REVALES 

Munai, Lanao del Norte – Chief negotiator of the Government of the Philippines –MILF peace panel Miriam Coronel Ferrer visited this interior town in the province last June 8,  for her last leg of the extended Brigada Eskwela spearheaded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) together with the 2^nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, 15^th Infantry Battalion, 5^th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, Department of Education (DepEd), Lanao del Norte and the Local Government Unit  (LGU) of Munai, Department of Health (DOH) and Task Forces for Campas Transformation.  School children came from Old Poblacion where  MILF’s Camp Bilal is located, Tambo and Panglao saw soldiers and Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces- Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( BIAF-MILF) worked together to repair school buildings damaged by armed conflict. The soldiers also offered free haircut and dental outreach.

Brigada Eskwela is a symbolic part of the normalization process when the combatants start to work together in rebuilding and development efforts in areas where is devastated by conflict.

 The MILF’s peace deals with the government – the 2013 Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro and the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro – aim to transform rebels into peace and development advocates.

 The Brigada Eskwela started in Butig town in Lanao del Sur; Pikit, Cotabato, and in Pagalungan in Maguindanao.

“Seeing soldiers and their former enemies work together to improve schools in areas devastated by conflicts is heart-rending,” a Maranaw school teacher said.

Soldiers and former Muslim rebels offered school children with food and medicine.

Col Gilbert Gapay, Brigade Commander of the 2^nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade in his speech said that he was so thankful that soldiers are part of the DepEd’s  Brigada Eskwela which is very much significant and meaningful.  “In my almost 30 years in the service of being a soldier, I have been a witnessed and participated in many brigada eskwela in the past years, but I find that this time is a very special and unique, since we had been  working side by side with our brothers from  MILF, DepEd and OPAPP”, Gapay said.  He said everyone seen and felt the importance of education, peaceful coexistence, aiming for a better future for everybody. “ Umasa kayo na ang 2^nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade,  ang AFP ay patuloy na sumusuporta sa mga programa, adhikain at mga proyekto tungo sa kapayapaan”, Gapay said.

DepEd Superintendent, Emmalinda E. Duhaylungsod has urged the leaders of the town, MILF and the parents of the school children to help them request the DepEd national  to build and establish an Integrated High School in the area.   

In his part, Munai Mayor Moammar “Wowie” Maquiling was very much elated  that Chief negotiator Ferrer  was able to attend the Brigada Eskwela despite of her hectic schedule. He was also happy for the dental outreach and free haircuts provided by the AFP. “ Thank you for having  special time to visit us here in Munai, it is very important for  us to have an access to health, especially for the dental outreach, since dental is  number one problem in this municipality, because we only have one municipal doctor”, Maquiling said.

Maquiling thanked the OPPAP ,DepEd, AFP, DOH, and other stakeholders and the counterpart for organizing Munai Brigada Eskwela and dental outreach.

In an interview with reporters, Maquiling disclosed  it is a great honor and a privilege that chairperson Ferrer visited Munai and that the AFP and the MILF worked together for Brigada Eskwela.  When asked about the Bangsamoro Basic Law?  “We are pro BBL and we are on the path for normalization, we don’t believe in war anymore”   Maquiling said. Once the BBL is approved, Munai might be included in the expanded Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao together with five towns that include Nunungan, Tangcal, Tagoloan, Baloi, and Pantar .  Maquiling believes that with the approval of BBL, developments will and investments come and pour to Munai.

In her speech, Ferrer told the school children and the parents that since 2010 with the signing of the peace process between the GRP and the MILF ceasefire continued in Munai. “There are only minimal problem like of the incident occurred in Mamasapano”,  She said.  She added that the goal of the ceasefire agreement is to keep the peace and make the ceasefire a permanent in Munai and elsewhere in Mindanao. She said that if the ceasefire, continues, school children will enjoy their studies. She also said that schools will be used as evacuation centers if there are wars.  “Kung tuloy tuloy ang kapayapaan ay susunod din ang kaunlaran at maibibigay na ang inyong pangangailangan tulad ng health, education and livelihood”, Ferrer said.  She stressed that children has the right to live a peaceful life. One of the program, she said is the normalization.

 

Iligan BJMP introduces innovations in jail management

By Ted Khan R Juanite and Ric Clet

A creative approach to prisoner and jail management has been introduced by its warden, CINSP Guy Jason J. Reyes after a successful stint at the Bukidnon Provincial Jail.

Reyes is the newly designated city warden of the BJMP facility in Iligan City, and has served for less than one year. However, within his service period, he has already made significant changes in the facility, one of which is the improvement of the façade of the building, and the setting up of security fences and alleys.  When Reyes was transferred to the Iligan City Jail, he mobilized the inmates to repaint the buildings and do some improvements like landscaping.

Among the innovations that Reyes has introduced is the putting up of a bakery within the BJMP facility and training qualified prisoners in baking.  The bakery produces high quality products that are sold within the compound.  When an American tourist and philanthropist visited Iligan, he also visited the BJMP.  The result of that visit was the setting up of a modern parlor and barber shop based on donations of equipment and construction materials given by the philanthropist known as “Kuya Bob” from where the Kuya Bob Barber Shop was named.

Reyes believes that the jail is not only a place for reform but a venue for providing opportunities for right livelihood for inmates.   In an interview with the Iligan City Tri Media group during its jail visit, Reyes said that inmates in the Iligan BMP are called “residents.”

Reyes was the only applicant in the DOH “Red Orchid Competition,” whereby government offices are evaluated as to their degree of tobacco-free environment.  He said the DOH came to the facility and after the visit, he was told that the BJMP Iligan would be qualified for national nomination.  “In Iligan City I was the only applicant for this competition,” Reyes said.  Reyes also received the same award in Malaybalay and garnered a grand slam award in Ozamiz City where he was previously assigned there as warden.

In less than a year, the Iligan City Jail has already established a modern Beauty Parlor and Barber shop, bakery, food court and other income-generating projects run by its residents (inmates).  “The customers are their relatives and outsiders with minimal rates and services”, Reyes said.  He said, through this generated income, residents have put up a general fund, with 50/50 sharing between the residents and the BJMP. “If one will be hospitalized, an initial of P500.00 pesos and P100 pesos for medicines will be taken from their general fund”, Reyes said.

“The city jail is now called a  “community” with its inmates called residents with individual functions such as expediters equivalent to barangay police, kitchen staff, landscaping personnel and those in charge for cleaning the area”, the warden said.   The community calls for a morning meeting to discuss problems, issues and concerns.  Reyes imposed a cardinal rule of no drugs, no thieves, and no sexual harassment that would develop residents’ values on honesty.  He said that Iligan City has one (1) cell for female, 19 cells for male residents, and one (1) isolation cell for all the 490 residents.  Reyes said the Iligan City Jail can also become a tourist destination subject to well-defined, stringent security measures.

Philip Kene Jaudian, Iligan Tri-Media’s corporate secretary nominated Reyes for an award by the press organization during its forthcoming induction of officers, “FOR INTRODUCING SIGNIFICANT, CREATIVE, & HIGH IMPACT INNOVATIONS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BJMP LEADING TO EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE PRISON SYSTEM.”

Belmonte graces adlaw sa Tambacan with 6 projects

                                                          CG reportorial Team

Iligan City- Representative Vicente “Varf” Belmonte extended his wishes, greetings and congratulations on the occasion of the 50^th adlawa sa Tambacan.  

 Chief of staff, Queenie Belmonte, reads and delivered the message for in behalf of her father, Congressman Belmonte.

Belmonte in his message said, that he congratulated the barangay officials the way they handle and provide services for their constituents. “But most especially for your very special and one of a kind, barangay captain Jimmy Sale”, the message said. 

“ Barangay Tambacan is one of the favorites and loved barangay by my father, you are lucky enough to have a very active and hardworking barangay captain”,  Queenie Belmonte said. She even told the audience that Barangay Captain Sale went to their office almost every day to follow up projects for barangay Tambacan. She even teased that accordingly he, (Sale) cried and will not go out from their office empty handed and get what he wanted.

“As a result, barangay Tambacan got six (6) projects for the year 2015”, chief of staff Belmonte revealed.    

“The bidding of P104 million pesos flood control for the Tubod river was already done and the project will be implemented soon; road concreting for purok 7; Multi-purpose building for the children’s park with additional fund amounting to two (2) million pesos; sea breaker at Purok 8; and two (2) High School buildings”, Quennie Belmonte read the message.

Congressman Belmonte urged the people of Tambacan to continue supporting their leaders for them to have more projects and developments.  “You have to be united and strong, because Congressman Belmonte will continue his 100 (one hundred) percent support for barangay Tambacan”, Queenie Belmonte stressed.

Brief history of barangay Tambacan

Barangay Tambacan, was founded on September 5, 1966 by as virtue of Resolution No. 202 which became City Ordinance Nr. 280. Vidal Orellana , Mr Teofilo Mandolin, Demetrio Cabante, Felicidad Ybanez, and the husband, Mr Deogracia Ybanez were became the past tinyente del Barrio as Tambacan did not yet have the capacity to choose a leader that it may legally called a voted leader. And so these leaders were appointed individuals close to how we choose our very “purok” leaders or presidents we have today.  

Mr William “Bill” Wright Jr, became the first person to be elected as barangay captain of Tambacan from 1968 to 1978 for 12 years of service, but met his untimely death. Mr. Danilo Navalta was the next successor being the first councilor, but then, Mr Navalta also met his untimely death and the next successor was Minda Actub until President Ferdinand Marcos regime ended on 1986.

Mr. Candelerio Lluisma became the chairman of barangay Tambacan by virtue of becoming the winner among the top voted candidates for the council of Tambacan after the EDSA People Power revolution when Corazon Aquino became the next President, according to the lists provided by Mr. Chokong Viajante.

After Mr .Lluisma, it was Mr. Abutanmo’s turn to take the lead in the barangay sometime in 1990.  After Mr.  Abutanmo, again, Mr. Candelario Lluisma became the barangay captain until 1998. From 1998 to 2013, it was Mr.Celso Ponce who led the council of Barangay Tambacan and from 2013 up to present. Honorable Jimmy C. Sale, led the Barangay Council of Tambacan towards success and development with his battle cry “Abante Tambacan”.   (provided articles)