Philippine military bares completed peace, development projects

A photo released by the Philippine military shows one of military projects in northern Samar.

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 23, 2010) – The Philippine military on Thursday said it has completed more than 1,600 peace and development projects across the country the past years.

Officials said a total of 1,691 projects were completed from 2005 to 2010, mostly from the government’s Kalayaan sa Barangay Program which had been undertaken through the National Development Support Command.

Among the projects were school buildings, daycare and health centers, rural electrification, potable water system and farm-to-market roads. “Most of these projects were completed in cooperation and support of local government units, government agencies, nongovernment organizations and other stakeholders nationwide,” said According to Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, of the National Development Support Command.

Garcia said 54 more infrastructure projects across the country are ongoing and nearing completion by military engineers.

He said Major General Carlos Holganza, commander of National Development Support Command, is happy with the projects because of the contribution of troops in nation- building.

“These worthwhile projects were made thru the peace and development initiatives of the government and genuine care of our peace builder-soldiers for our people,” Holganza said.

Of the total number of completed projects, 794 are in Luzon, 511 in the Visayas and 386 Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Sulu is now 2nd Class province; sets more goals

Sulu Governor Hajji Sakur Tan, DH.

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 24, 2009) - With sustained peace and development programs and a bullish economy, Sulu now has been upgraded from a 3rd Class province to 2nd Class and various business groups have largely attributed this to the governor of Sulu, Sakur Tan.

According to the Department of Finance, Sulu’s classification was upgraded also based on its Financial Statements duly certified by the Commission on Audit and in accordance with the income ranges prescribed in the Department Order No. 23-08. Financial figures and data were not immediately available.

Sulu has met all the requirements it needed as 2nd Class province, said Finance Executive Director Maria Presentacion Montesa.

”This is good news to us. At last Sulu is now recovering from what it was in previous administrations. Governor Sakur Tan is an excellent manager, a hardworking executive and good civil servant and that’s why we are progressing,” one Chinese-Filipino trader, who runs a chain of shops in Jolo town, said by phone from Jolo.

For his part, Tan said the progress of Sulu can be attributed to its people who have supported his reforms and programs. “This is not because of me. Everyone has played a crucial role – from the village leaders, the town officials, the provincial board members, the business, academe and religious sectors, the community and most especially the ordinary people whom we pledged to serve,” he said in a separate interview.

Tan said more development and infrastructure projects have been lined up for different areas in Sulu. He said the provincial government is pursuing more programs and projects on agricultural, education and health, community development and people empowerment, as part of Sulu’s peace and development agenda.

Infrastructure and other humanitarian projects are also continuing in Sulu, he said.

Many local farmers have also resorted to planting coffee beans from the traditional cassava because of its competitive prices and high market demands. Tan said the demand for Sulu’s Arabica and Robusta coffee beans is high because of its good quality and distinct aroma.

Tan has recently organized the Sulu Provincial Coffee Industry Development Task Force (Kahawa Sug) which aims to enhance and facilitate the implementation of the coffee development plan.

“We have come up with a plan designed to further improve coffee production in Sulu in order to enhance the socio-economic condition of the coffee farmers. We have the best coffee beans in the southern Philippines,” Tan said.

He said coffee farmers can derive greater economic benefits by adopting improve technology on coffee growing techniques introduced by Nestle Philippines.

“This is being done by putting up nursery for selected coffee clones and give bountiful harvest of green seeds and the establishment of technology demonstrations to guide farmers on the right plantation management practices, reviving the productivity of coffee trees thru pruning and rejuvenation thus improving the production and qualities of coffee beans,” he said.

Aside from coffee beans, Sulu is a supplier of abaca ropes, marine products, rubber and copra. The province is also abundant in fruits such as durian and mangosteen berries, among others. (Mindanao Examiner)

U.S. Signs $190 Million Mindanao Peace Aid

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 20 Sept) – The United States and the Philippines signed a $190 million grant aid to help sustain peace and development efforts in the restive region of Mindanao, where security forces are battling Muslim and communist insurgencies for decades now.

Called the Mindanao Peace and Development (MPAD) assistance, the aid is a five-year joint effort of the Philippine government and the United States which aims to develop the needed infrastructure, improve governance and social services as well as expand the economic opportunity in vulnerable and conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

President Gloria Arroyo, together with US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Augusto Santos, OIC-Director General of the National Economic Development Authority, witnessed the signing of the agreement Wednesday between Undersecretary Virgilio Leyretana, chairman of Mindanao Economic Development Council and Jon Lindborg, USAID-Philippines Mission Director.

With the continuation and expansion of the USAID assistance, MPAD is projected to sustain the gains of peace and development that have been achieved so far in Mindanao and widen the scope of social and economic infrastructures and services to a larger Mindanao populace.

“MPAD will enable us to achieve growth with equity and parity as well as accelerate the social and economic inclusion of Mindanao into the BROAD spectrum of national affairs,” Leyretana said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner on Thursday.

Security forces are battling insurgencies in Mindanao the past four decades and fighting have significantly stalled development of the region, now slowly becoming a breeding ground for terrorists where Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya are threatening Manila’s peace efforts.