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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech & Digital News
CABANATUAN CITY (SDN) — Mayor Maica Elizabeth R. Vergara of this Northern Luzon city has assured her more than 5,000 Muslim constituents to support them and address their wellbeing and concerns.
Vergara made the assurance during Friday’s (April 12) inauguration and ribbon cutting rites of the Muslim Consultative Council (MCC) Office, which the local government unit (LGU) helped established. Cabanatuan LGU approved the formation of the MCC.
Headed by National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF)-North Luzon Regional Director Bai Raihanah Sarah T. Macarimpas, the regional office has been the go-to government agency when it comes to Muslim Filipinos in the region.
Under her leadership, MCCs have been established in some of the cities and municipalities in the region, one of the vehicles for collaboration with LGUs.
Vergara was instrumental in the city approval of the MCC in her city, with the LGU providing office for the Council, to be equipped with tables, chairs, computers, and other office needs.
The lady mayor was a principal guest during the ribbon cutting of the MCC Office during which she assured her support.
Vergara “promised to support the Council in responding to the needs of her Muslim constituents in the city,” as relayed by Hadji Abdullah “Abel” Macarimpas, former director at the NCMF Central Office Finance and Management Service (FMS) in Quezon City, Metro Manila.
The event’s guest speaker, Hadji Abel Macarimpas, one of the Muslim leaders in Baguio City highly respected by his compatriots, on the other hand, assured the mayor on the MCC’s cooperation in maintaining discipline, helping protect the environment, and assisting in cleanliness drive of the city government.
“I urged the Council officers to vigorously support the national government’s relentless war against illegal drugs, to report to law enforcement authorities any one from the Muslim communities who may be involved in using and peddling drugs,” he emphasized.
Since her assumption at the top of the NCMF-North Luzon hierarchy, which has a provincial office in San Fernando, Pampanga, Regional Director Macarimpas has been instrumental in implementing and complying with the mandate of the Commission in looking after its constituents in many aspects of their lives.
According to Wikipedia, Northern Luzon is comprised of seven provinces, such as Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, and Zambales, as wells the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). NCMF-North Luzon is based in Baguio City, where hundreds if not thousands of Muslim live and make their living as traders.
NCMF-North Luzon assists again in formation of MCC
The NCMF now headed by Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim of Tawi-Tawi has regional and provincial offices across the country to more effectively implement its mandate of promoting, preserving, and enhancing Muslim Filipinos’ cultural heritage.
Republic Act No. 9997, the NCMF Charter, in compliance with its mandate, is tasked to advice the Philippine President in shaping, coordinating, implementing, and monitoring government policies, plans, programs, and projects that affect the country’s local Muslims.
Its tasks also include being the primary State agency Muslims Filipinos can run to for government assistance and redress their grievances. Moreover, it also covers the monitoring and evaluation of all the government’s performance concerning existing policies and development programs.
Thus, it’s no surprise the NCMF-North Luzon has been instrumental in the formation of MCCs in communities in Northern Luzon.
One of the latest cases is the formation of the MCC and the ribbon cutting of its office in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
Hadji Abdullah Macarimpas reported the MCC Cabanatuan’s inauguration through social media, noting the collaboration of NCMF-North Luzon and Cabanatuan City local government unit (LGU).
He said through the collaboration the city government approved the MCC, which is being manned by the Federation of Muslim Associations in Cabanatuan City (FMACC). Latip Malambut is president of the FMCC.
“An office was provided by the City Government of Cabanatuan, (to be) equipped with tables, chairs, computers and other office needs,” Hadji Abel Macarimpas said.
He said the office was inaugurated on Friday, April 12, and will soon be ready and open for business to serve NCMF-North Luzon’s constituents in the city and other nearby areas.
Also present in the event included NCMF-North Luzon Cultural Affairs Acting Chief, Shariah Counsel Gary Salacop, Monalangcap Datumanong, and others. (/)