ARMM to launch 4Ps; forms advisory committee

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao formed its regional advisory committee for the government's "Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program" or 4Ps to intensify efforts against poverty and improve the health, nutrition, education and economic condition of its populace.

The regional advisory committee is an inter-agency cooperation that aims to effectively implement the 4Ps and translate national policies into region-specific operational guidelines, according to acting Secretary Pombae Kader of the ARMM’s Department of Social Welfare and Development, according to the regional government's media statement.

It said the DSWD leads the regional advisory committee with the Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Regional Development Planning Office and the ARMM’s Bureau of Public Information as members.

The 4Ps, one of the major anti poverty programs of the government through the DSWD, is a five-year program of the President launched in 2008 amid the global economic meltdown.

It is a conditional cash transfer program originated in Latin America and Africa and was divided into three (3) sets.

Kader said the 4Ps program provides small cash grants to identified extremely poor families with the condition that the money will be spent for health and education of their children particularly from up to fourteen years of age.

Under the 4Ps, each family will receive monthly cash grants amounting to P1,400 for five years for health services and education of three children. Each child will have P300 education or a total of P900 for the three children while the P500 will be used for the family’s basic health service.

In his recent visit here, DSWD Undersecretary Luwalhati Pablo, 4Ps National Program Director, said that since the 4Ps is “not a standalone program,” other agencies should assist her department in promoting and building the program.

As of August 2009, the program increased its target number of beneficiaries from 700,000 to 1 million households in 2008, entailing the government to increase its budget from P5-billion to P10 billion.

In the ARMM, as of August 2009, the program then covered 15 municipalities, serving approximately 30,000 households that received roughly P58 million, Kader said in her report to Pablo.

Pablo said that the program is still extending its help to 57 more municipalities and approximately 70,000 households for another five years which will be funded by international donors including American Development Fund, World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, The United Nations Children's Fund and United Nations Population Fund. (Mark Navales and Becky de Asis contributed to this report.)

100 Moro women finish livelihood seminar in Maguindanao

A photo released by the ARMM’s Bureau of Public Information shows acting Social Welfare Secretary Pombaen Kader, of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has assured members of the Badak Women Association of her agency's assistance during the two-day women assembly held recently in the village of Badak in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao province. The Badak Women Association is groomed to become a model community women group in the ARMM.

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Some 100 women finished a two-day seminar on various programs organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, officials said on Tuesday.

Ali Macabalang, the ARMM spokesman, said the seminar was aimed at making the participants, who belong to the Badak Women Association, aware of various methods that would make them more progressive in trade and commerce.

Those who attended were mostly from Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, he said.

According to Macabalang, DSWD-ARMM acting Secretary Pombaen Kader said the assembly enabled the women to craft plans and programs and strengthen their association with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority in the ARMM.

He quoted Kader as saying that with the support of DSWD-ARMM, the Badak Women Association has been recipient of the Learning Livelihood and Food Sufficiency program of the ARMM Social Fund Projects through its Community Development Assistance which promotes local women empowerment.

The LLFS program trains participants on livelihood and income-generating activities, and also undertakes functional literacy training that requires 150-hour classroom sessions under the non-formal education by the Department of Education.

The training provides women and mothers especially from the far-flung areas basic ability to read and write as well as mathematics. It also affords them technical, financial and material support for the household food sufficiency which is designed to address the nutritional needs of their families.

Jennylyn Yap, of the DSWD-ARMM, also said that they are now planning to make Badak Women Association as a model women group in the region for them to continuously avail of the services of the women’s welfare program, according to Macabalang.

About 270 communities are being targeted for the Learning Livelihood and Food Sufficiency as part of its sustainability program under the CDA component of the ARMM Social Fund Project.

(Mark Navales contributed to this report)

Photo: Humanitarian Mission In Mindanao

Bai Ingrid Sinsuat, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary for Operations of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Datu Piang Mayor Samer Uy lead aid workers in the distribution in the town of Datu Piang of relief assistance to civilians who are displaced by fighting between rebels and soldiers in Maguindanao province.

Photo also shows the nine-year old boy, Koling Ibrahim, with Shariff Aguak town Mayor Datu Anwar Ampatuan and Sinsuat and Vice Mayor Datu Monir Asim. The boy is scheduled for reconstructive cleft lip and palate operation in Davao City under Ampatuan’s “Operation Smile” project. Women evacuees also share their woes to social workers during a recent stress debriefing by the DSWD-ARMM in refugee shelters in Datu Piang town. (Photo by Omar Mangorsi / Bureau of Public Information-ARMM)

Troops Kill Sayyaf Man In Jolo Island; Refugees Get Relief Aid

War refugees in Basilan and Jolo islands in southern RP receive relief aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Muslim autonomous region under Bai Racma Imam, who led the distribution of hundreds of food bags. Regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Jolo island governor Sakur Tan and Basilan governor Jum Akbar are closely working with government agencies to address the situation of some 20,000 people who fled their homes. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service/ Mark Navales)

JOLO ISLAND, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 24 Aug) – Philippine soldiers killed a suspected Abu Sayyaf militant after he resisted arrest in the southern island of Jolo, where security forces are fighting the terrorist group tied to al-Qaeda.

Security officials said the militant was involved in kidnappings and killings in Jolo island, one of five province under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Thousands of soldiers were pursuing the Abu Sayyaf on the island, blamed for the killing of more than a dozen Marines in fierce fighting since last month. Over 7,000 civilians have fled their homes because of the hostilities.

Jolo island Governor Sakur Tan has ordered social workers to attend to the refugees and make sure that none of them get sick, especially the children.

“We are concerned about the health of the refugees and the security situation on the island, although the skirmishes are in the hinterlands,” Tan said.

ARMM Social Welfare Secretary Bai Rachma Imam led the distribution of relief aid Thursday and Friday in Jolo and Basilan island where troops are also battling a faction of Abu Sayyaf.

Some 13,000 people also evacuated in Basilan for fear that they would be caught in the cross-fire.

President Gloria Arroyo ordered the military to crush the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for Tuesday’s bombing in Zamboanga City that injured 14 people. (Mark Navales)