THE Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) launched in the town of Tabuan-Lasa island-province of Basilan its convergence effort aimed at strengthening the implementation of the priority programs on health, education, livelihood, peace
and governance.
Among the convergence package received by not less than a hundred families of Tabuan-Lasa were the initial livelihood implements consisting of agar-agar farm inputs, 10 sets of tuna hand lines and lobster gillnets from the region’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Earlier, OIC-Governor Mujiv S. Hataman announced to the residents the proposed livelihood program which includes solar drier and support implements to boost seaweeds production while noting that the regional government assures priority assistance for rebuilding a school structure in the said area.
The region’s Department of Social Welfare and Development, meanwhile, said that it had poured on assistance to the residents of the island-municipality that include 350 food packs, 108 lighting supplies and social pension checks to 44 senior citizens amounting to Php3,000 each.
More than 400 children have availed of a supplemental feeding program also organized by the social welfare agency. The agency also eyes the implementation of a core shelter assistance program and the cash for work privilege to the 35 victims whose houses had been razed by a fire incident.
Partners from the military and civil society organizations have also shelled in educational materials. Pre-school kits were distributed by an organization called Nagdilaab Foundation while the military sector has provided 17 boxes of assorted books for elementary schools in the island-municipality.
Loose coordination among agencies in the implementation of services and duplication of service delivery were some cited reasons behind the employment of the convergence effort in the autonomous region.
During the Regional Economic and Development Planning Board (RedPB) meeting on January 22, Hataman urged local government executives present to support the 2013 ARMM HELPS Convergence Plan aimed at attaining the objectives of the Millenium Development Goal (MDG). HELPS stands for Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy.
Hataman said the concept of HELPS calls for the involvement of all agencies of government in the delivery of services in identified priority areas in the five provinces.
The regional government was able to identify a total of 30 unserved towns as priority target areas distributed as follows: 6 towns in Maguindanao, 8 towns in Lanao del Sur, 6 towns in Basilan, 6 in Sulu and another 6 in the island-province of Tawi-Tawi.
Convergence package under health includes construction of health centers and birthing clinic with complete facilities, provision of supplies and medicines, deployment of personnel-midwife and capacity building.
For the education cluster: day care centers, manpower, supplies-supplemental feeding, school buildings, water and sanitation, school supplies, teaching materials and instructional support for the kinder and elementary levels, madrasah and secondary including scholarship.
Under the livelihood cluster deliverables include ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’, skills training, capital assistance, support infrastructure, farm-fishery inputs, pre and post-harvest facilities, livestock dispersal, credit access and eco-tourism and economic enterprise while for peace and governance include functional municipal peace and order councils, disaster risk reduction management councils and regulation and reduction of loose firearms.
The convergence efforts of the regional government will also be launched in the towns of Lamitan and Al-Barka in Basilan on Feb. 6 and 7 respectively, Ampatuan and Parang in Maguindanao province on Feb. 11, Feb. 14 and 15 in Ganassi and Ramain, Lanao del Sur, Feb. 16 in Marawi City, Feb. 17 in Panglima Sugala in Tawi-Tawi, and on Feb. 20 for Maimbung, Sulu.
Earlier, ARMM provinces received more funds for socio-economic projects. Each of the ARMM provinces received an initial tranche of more than P10 million from the Transition Support Investment Plan (TISP) for local fisheries and agricultural projects intended to improve the lives of farmers and fisherfolks in remote areas in the autonomous region.
The TISP aims to improve living conditions in impoverished communities in the autonomous region in support of Malacañang’s Mindanao peace efforts.
ARMM OIC-Governor Mujiv S. Hataman helps in the distribution of fishing kits provided by the region’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
