‘Give ARMM a chance’

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman. FILE PHOTO

DAVAO CITY – Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has called on the public to visit the region and help the local government fight negative perception.

Hataman said even with the big transformation in the autonomous government, people continue to look at the region with indifference and reservation.

“It is because of perception, negative perception. But if you give us a chance, visit ARMM and you’ll see the development and transformation,” he said.

“Really, it is a very big challenge for all of us how to fight this negative perception,” Hataman added during the opening ceremonies of the three-day summit of local government units in the ARMM here Wednesday.

More than 100 local mayors, governors and congressional representatives from the ARMM attended the summit.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno said negative perception could easily be addressed if people “come over” and see the “big difference against what you have perceived.”

Hataman said his administration focuses on two major concerns, which he expects elected leaders to implement seriously — poverty reduction and security.

“We need to be more aggressive in poverty reduction. We have all the resources and we have investors, we need to engage everyone. We have enough resources that can feed our own people, enough resources to address poverty,” he told the Inquirer in an interview.

Lawyer Laisa Alamia, ARMM’s regional executive secretary, said the region’s poverty incidence has been reduced—from 48.7 percent in 2012 to 48.2 percent today.

READ: Still poor

Alamia said the provinces of Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Maguindanao performed well in poverty reduction, but Sulu lagged behind.

In 2012, Tawi-Tawi’s poverty incidence was 21.9, but was reduced to 10.9 in 2015; Basilan was 32.1, but is now 28.3; while Maguindanao was 54.5, and now down to 48.8.

Manguindanao Gov. Esmail Mangudadatu attributed the reduction in poverty incidence in his province to the entry of investors in Maguindanao.

“We have many investors, and these investors provide jobs for our people. Each hectare of banana plantation employs one to two workers. A thousand hectares employ almost 2,000 workers. Our concern always is the need to protect our investors because they give employment to our people,” he said.

Hataman cited the case of Basilan where the local government took the lead in fighting the Abu Sayyaf, luring investors to pour in investments. Basilan Gov. Jim Saliman said the completion of over a hundred kilometers of road also helped the economy of far-flung towns.

The Basilan governor said their economic landscape consisted of agriculture and fishery, but bugs have devastated big portions of coconut farms.

But Saliman admitted that it was difficult to invite foreign investors as the province is still struggling to combat negative perception brought about by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

READ: ARMM gov urges all-out war vs Abu

“We focus on local, domestic investors,” he said.

Hataman said the region is still facing serious security problems. But he said the only way to strengthen the fight against terrorism and other lawless elements is to exact accountability from the local leaders.

Hataman said he was aware that “some mayors, some barangays officials are not reporting to their halls or not even staying in their own municipalities.”

Hataman said he is demanding direct accountability from his own people. “A barangay official must be responsible to his own village. He must know who is new in his place and he must take action if there are crimes in his place,” he said.

He said armed groups thrive in some communities “because they don’t see their mayors or their barangay officials, so people are afraid and are forced the leave the barangay, and it makes one community ideal breeding place of these lawless elements.”

At the end of the summit, the ARMM mayors and governors are expected to sign a manifesto denouncing terrorism./rga

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