New Mindanao autonomy to cost P800B

PRESIDENT Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Murad Ebrahim check documents at the closing ceremony of the Philippine Development Forum on Bangsamoro held at SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Thursday. BING GONZALES/INQUIRER MINDANAO

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—The cost of putting in place a new autonomous government in Mindanao could reach P800 billion, which a top Moro rebel leader said he hoped would be spared from corruption.

Murad Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said he hoped the new autonomous setup would have enough safeguards against the misuse of funds.

“This was also the concern raised by the Bangsamoro people, those in the grassroots,” Murad said. “That is the concern of everybody.”

Murad said the first phase of the Bangsamoro Development Plan, which would be implemented from 2015 to mid-2016, would need P110 billion.

He said both the national government and foreign donors were “very committed” to support the Bangsamoro.

“We look forward to these pledges of commitment to implement this Bangsamoro Development Plan,” he added.

Murad and President Aquino were in the city to drum up support for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which would replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which Aquino administration officials had described as a failed experiment in autonomy.

The President rallied support for the passage of BBL before representatives of fund agencies like World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank for International Cooperation, among others, saying Mindanao is “at the cusp of profound transformation.”

Mr. Aquino repeated his battle cry that from the land of promise, Mindanao is becoming a “land of promises fulfilled.”

The BBL passage, however, is a key step for Bangsamoro development, the President said.

“At this point, I believe all of us are duty-bound to make our voices heard,” he said.

“Please talk to your representatives so that we can pass a bill that truly represents the interests of all and benefits all of the people,” Mr. Aquino said in a speech.

“Indeed, more than at any other point in history, the Mindanao we all aspire for is within reach,” he said.

By next year, the President said at least two coal-fired power plants would be on line to help solve power shortage in Mindanao.

Mr. Aquino said the government had been aggressively providing opportunities to people caught in conflict areas through projects like the Sajahatra Bangsamoro Program, which was launched last year.

The Sajahatra Bangsamoro aims to improve the living conditions of several Bangsamoro communities by offering cash for work, technical-vocational training, study grants and health insurance.

He also said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) had poured in money for massive infrastructure development. If Congress passes the 2015 budget, the DPWH budget for Mindanao would be P63 billion.