Duterte: Make Bangsamoro work so that women no longer have to work abroad

DAVAO CITY—President Duterte urged Bangsamoro officials to make the Bangsamoro government work so that the economy would thrive and women no longer had to work abroad for their family to survive.

At the same time, the President urged other Moro areas not yet covered by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) to opt to be included so that they would be part of the development and progress of the whole autonomous area.

He said that some of the women in the Bangsamoro would opt to borrow money so that they could go abroad to work but often ended up being raped and abused.

The President said this was the reason there had been a high incidence of suicide among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). He said that if Bangsamoro could make its governance work and the economy would thrive, women no longer had to go abroad to work.

“(So), it’s important to create a thriving community,” the President said.

“Barmm has to succeed because it would be (your) deliverance, social and political,” he said. “So, yung di (pa) kasali sa Barmm, sumali na kayo, para makuha natin ang kapayapaan sa mga kapatid nating Moro (those who are not yet part of the Barmm, have yourself included, so that we can finally attain peace among our Moro brothers,” he added.

“Ako, sinasabi ko, join Barmm, pag gusto mong kasama sa pagtaas…sumali kayo at mas madali ang development (I am saying, join Barmm if you want to be part of its advancement…join so that development would be fast),” he said during the distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) to agrarian reform beneficiaries of the Barmm at the Shariff Kabungsuan Convention Center here.

The President also urged the beneficiaries not to sell the piece of land turned over to them by the government but instead, strive to make these productive so that they would have enough income to improve their lives and send their children to school.

“Mahalin mo ang lupa. Bilihin ko iyong products at a price that is competitive, and third, it will give you an income and you can improve, your children can go to school,” he said. “Send your children to school, para makalabas sa kahirapan at sa gulo ng mundo, makita mo iyong Moro na nag aral, di naman maganda buhay pero… (so that they will escape poverty and conflicts in the world, you can see the Moro (people) who were able to go to school, their life may not be perfect but they’re doing better).