GOVERNANCE/POLITICS

ISABELA CITY --- The local government unit in Isabela City in Basilan Province has new garbage collection trucks need to boost its daily cleanup routines.

Among the problems that confronted the newcomer mayor of Isabela City, Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman, is lack of equipment essential in maintaining cleanliness in barangays under her jurisdiction. She was elected to office only last May 13.

The provincial government of Basilan, under Gov. Jim Salliman, even had to lend its trucks to the office of the new Isabela City mayor for its cleanup effort to takeoff.

COTABATO CITY --- Vice President Leni Robredo and Mayor Rose Furigay led Wednesday the kickoff rite for the construction of the Angat Buhay Yakan Cloth Weaving Center in Barangay Buahan in Lamitan City.

Lamitan City is the capital of Basilan island province that also covers Isabela City and 11 towns.

The setting up of the weaving center, where skilled weavers are to produce the now globally marketed multi-colored Tenun Yakan fabric, is a joint initiative of the Office of the Vice President and the Lamitan local government unit. 

COTABATO CITY --- The 44^th founding anniversary celebration of the now peaceful Maluso town in Basilan this week brought together key leaders in the island province.

Among the many officials who graced the event were Gov. Jim Salliman, Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman, who is lone congressional representative of the island province, and local officials led by Mayor Hanie Bud.

COTABATO CITY  --- One of this year’s recipients of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) awards is a Maranao who is a member of the Bangsamoro parliament.

Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong shall receive the TOYM 2019 award on December 13 during a special ceremony at the Manila Hotel.

The grant of TOYM citations is an annual activity of the Philippine Jaycees Incorporated, meant to honor Filipinos with remarkable community service feats.

Adiong, more known as “Zia,” is younger brother of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr.

COTABATO CITY  – The Maguindanao Electric Cooperative (Magelco) will resort to drastic move in a bid to let its member-consumers into paying monthly electric bills for the cooperative to free from the bondage of debt.

Magelco General Manager Ashary P. Maongco said the cooperative have no other recourse but to implement a power shut down unless member consumers settle its obligation with the power distributor.

COTABATO CITY --- The local government unit of Isabela City received P5 million from the Dangerous Drugs Board for a rehabilitation facility for abusers to hasten the resolution of domestic narcotics issues.

Isabela City is one of two cities in the now markedly peaceful island province of Basilan in the Bangsamoro region. The province also covers Lamitan City, the provincial capital, and 11 neighboring towns.

MANILA - The Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) signed on Wednesday a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a multiyear partnership to strengthen the government’s efforts for the Philippines to reap the benefits of demographic dividend and for other initiatives to integrate population dynamics as well as reproductive health issues with sustainable development planning and programming.

NGCP Advisory: Scheduled power interruption in parts of General Santos City, South Cotabato, and Sarangani province.

Affected: SOCOTECO II Schedule:

November 28 (8AM - 6PM) November 28 (8AM - 12NN)

December 1 (8AM - 5PM) Reasons: Preventive maintenance activities at Gensan Substation.

Specific areas that will be affected shall be determined by the electric cooperative.

NGCP will exert all efforts to restore power earlier, or as scheduled.

COTABATO CITY --- North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco has asked indigenous communities not to move out of their earthquake-stricken ancestral lands to keep their entitlement to such domains.

Catamco said in an emailed statement Monday that declaring “no build zones” in ancestral lands of indigenous groups in the province has to be subjected to dialogues first among tribal chieftains and the provincial government.

KORONADAL CITY - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) honored over the weekend at least 70 individuals as this year’s BayanI Ka! Awards, known as the agency’s local version of Nobel prize for volunteers in the development sector.

The Barangay Sub-project Management Committee of Kaltuad in Glan Sarangani Province was also recognized for their Best Improved Local Governance Category while the Keytodac Water System Association from Lebak, Sultan Kudarat was proclaimed as winner for Best Sustained Community Group.