International Community, DILG-National, Local Gov’t Academy Continue Support to Bangsamoro Region

By EDD K. USMAN / Twitter: @edd1819 / Instagram: @bluestar0910 / Facebook: SDN —  Science, Digital & Current News

DUSIT THANI MANILA, Makati City (SDN) — Many of the newly elected officials (NEO) of the 116 municipalities and provinces of the Bangsamoro region are participating in the General Orientation and Training (GOT) on governance here in the country’s premier commercial business district (CBD).

The GOT, from August 8-10, is being funded by the Japan International Agency for Cooperation (JICA), a long-time peace and development of the Philippines in general and the Bangsamoro region in particular.

Created in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the Bangsamoro region is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area (SGA) made up of 63 barangays or villages in North Cotabato that opted to be under BARMM jurisdiction during two plebiscites in January and February 2019.

The BARMM per Philippine Atlas has five provinces, three cities, 116 municipalities, and the SGA villages. Its population as of 2020 is pegged at 4,404,288. Basilan has 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur.

Related story: JICA Funds Governance Training of Newly Elected Officials in Bangsamoro Region; MILG Facilitates

MILG Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo led the opening of the GOT on Monday, laying down the objectives and the expectations post-event.

The event in photographs:

“We commenced today, August 8, 2022, the three-day General Orientation and Training for the Newly Elected Officials (NEO) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ((BARMM) with an overwhelming number of Mayors and Governors from the five provinces and three cities of the Bangsamoro Region attending today’s event.

“The Vice Mayor of Makati Honorable Monique Lagdameo, in behalf of Makati Mayor Abigail Binay, welcomed the participants.

“We are equally fortunate to have Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Marlo Iringan and Local Government Academy Executive Director Thelma T. Vecina gracing the occasion and pledging the full support of the DILG National to the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) of the Bangsamoro Government.

“The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative, Mr. Sakamoto Takema, also gave his message of support and expressed the continuing support of the Japanese Government to the peace process and the BARMM. JICA is a major development partner of the country and of the Bangsamoro region.

“Covered in the training is a mixed of lectures/theory and sharing of experiences by some of the BARMM’s Award winning mayors of their best practices on service delivery.

“The BARMM ministries also participated and will share their programs and projects. This will allow for the alignment of programs between the local government units (LGUs) and the Bangsamoro Government.

“Major donors such as the JICA, United Nations, The European Union, The Australian Government, among others, will also listen to the presentation of the Governors’ Development Priorities for possible funding and collaboration.

“We thank the Mayors and the Governors for their active participation. Kudos to our MILG Team, Resource Persons, and our development partners for the superb event today. On to more work and collaboration.” (✓)

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Featured image shows MILG Interior Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo flanked by DILG-National Undersecretary Marlo Iringan (left) and Local Government Academy (LGA) Executive Director Thelma T. Vecina.