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COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Local Economic Support Service (BLESS) Program, one of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government’s (MILG) flagship initiatives, launched a two-day Orientation on Setting-Up and Operation of Local Economic Enterprises (LEE) on July-24-25, 2023, in Cagayan de Oro City.
It was held at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel and participated by all 12 barangays in the Pigcawayan Cluster of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the SGA’s 63 barangays or villages that voted โyesโ in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided 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.
The MILG-initiated activity is intended to assist barangay local government units (BLGUS) covered by the SGA in developing and launching their Local Economic Enterprises in order to promote growth and improve the region’s economic prospects. The project’s capacity-building component promised to transform these local governments into self-sufficient organizations, demonstrating to the business community their potential for growth and industry. This action is expected to stimulate both local and regional economic development by attracting more investors.
MILG Minister Atty. Naguib G. Sinarimbo sees LGUs in the BARMM making inroads in making themselves sustainable.
“The Bangsamoro government’s economic ventures would serve as a testament to the LGUs’ abilities once they were sustained. This is in addition to encouraging good governance and assisting war-torn local governments,” the MILG said.
He emphasized that this strategy has the potential to serve as a springboard for greater regional development.
Village executives thank MILG for the BLESS Program
Sinarimbo expressed his desire to cultivate business-oriented thinking among LGUs, transforming them from traditional leaders who rely solely on external assistance to proactive figures who seek to serve and provide for their constituents.
The Pigcawayan Cluster’s Punong Barangays, Barangay Kagawad (Chairman on the Committee on Appropriations), Barangay Treasurers, Barangay Secretaries, and CSO (civil society organization) Representatives took part in the activity. They eagerly interacted with resource persons, especially during discussions about revenue sources and processes.
Featured in the event were Director Mark Louie C. Martin, CPA, regional director of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Region IX, and Director Melvin Joy L Yu, CESE, regional director of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) Region IX, who served as event resources.
Bailona M. Abdullah, a barangay kagawad from Barangay Kadingilan, expressed her satisfaction with the program, saying, “I am happy that we are reminded of the taxing power of the LGUs that we can also exercise to enhance our revenues.”
Barangays Balacayon, Buricain, Datu Binasing, Datu Mantil, Kadingilan, Libungan Toreta, Lower Baguer, Lower Pangangkalan, Matilac, Patot, Simsiman, and Upper Panagkalan are all part of the Pigcawayan Cluster.
The BLESS Program will expand capacity-building activities to other SGA clusters, with the next batch focusing on Midsayap Clusters 1 and 2. (โ)