(Yearender) 2014, successful, meaningful, sentimental year for ARMM By Noel Y. Punzalan and Edwin O. Fernandez COTABATO CITY, Dec. 23 (PNA) –- The year 2014 was the most colourful, meaningful, sentimental and unprecedented year for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It has five ‘firsts’ since the regional government was created 25 years ago. Firstly, it recorded a whopping investments of Pph3.867 billion which ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman attributed to the improved peace and order situation due to the Mindanao peace process. Second, it was in March this year that Malacanang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forged the peace agreement, known as Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), after almost 19 years of shaky peace talks. Third, ARMM has been celebrating its 25th year of existence through various activities and programs which lasted for a month. The celebration started last November 7 with the state of the region address of Gov. Hataman which many said was his last because of the coming of new political entity in Mindanao. The fourth ‘first’ in the regional autonomy’s history is the unprecedented fiscal savings ARMM earned during the term of Hataman where the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Education (DepEd), two of the most graft ridden agencies in ARMM, made a turn around and save more than P1 billion in funds. ’Ghost’ teachers, employees, schools, projects, and many non-existing workers all vanished when Hataman implemented reforms. These earned him the moniker ‘ghost buster’ from no less than President Benigno S. Aquino III. Biddings of public works were made public and under the watchful eyes of non-government organizations and the media which led to savings in favor of the government. Since its creation 25 years ago, the autonomous region has never conducted Christmas party in offices since about 98 percent of the government workers in the region are Muslims. But last week, Hataman hosted a grandiose Christmas party for non-Muslim employees who never experienced the same kind of activity during previous administrations. It was a first, and probably the last, since the current administration will step down once a new political entity, called Bangsamoro Government, shall replace the current ARMM. The Bangsamoro Government is an outcome of the peace process with the MILF that hopefully will end the decades old Moro problem in southern Philippines. There could be other several ‘firsts’ in the ARMM this year but these were the most notable that Hataman had achieved. He refused to claim credit for the success of the reforms he initiated but attributed it to the dedicated and committed officials and employees of the regional bureaucracy. Hataman said many officials and employees, including himself, were emotional when he delivered his last SONA. He would have wanted to implement more reforms because he wanted the region to become more developed when the new administration assumes the leadership. He said ARMM has made the difference. (PNA) LAM/NYP/EOF
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 08:30:41 +0000
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