Keynote Address of BTA Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim during the "Usapang Bangsamoro sa Panahon ng Pandemya"
[A message delivered to the participants of "Usapang Bangsamoro sa Panahon ng Pandemya" held at Grand Pagana Hall, Cotabato City and via online through Zoom on July 29-30, 2020]
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmahtullahi Taala Wa Barakatuh
My salutations to our dear friend, Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Mindanao Peaceweavers headed by its Lead Convener, Myla Leguro and its Secretary-General, Gus Miclat, and of course, to our long time friends and partners for peace and development, ladies and gentlemen — a peaceful and healthy morning to everyone!
Much like our previous engagements, I cannot stress enough my utmost gratitude to the various civil society organizations who, in one way or another, have contributed in the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Your commitment in the Bangsamoro peace process speaks volumes on the importance of finding peaceful political solution to the decades-long struggle of our people towards self-determination. Of course, immediately after the start of the transition period, we also recognize the pressure and responsibilities we owe to you who made this peaceful agreement possible. Because at the end of the day, the heart of the GPH-MILF peace process are the Bangsamoro – the civilian populace that you represent. Indeed, you are one of the important stakeholders in this journey.
It has been more than a year since the inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and though we have achieved significant accomplishments, the transition period has also posed several challenges along the way. We are essentially given three years to setup a bureaucracy that would be worthy of the blood, sweat, and tears of the Bangsamoro. In addition to this, is the big expectation from ourselves and from our people that tangible changes would be felt, even at this early stage of the Bangsamoro Government.
Some might argue that it is almost unfair to demand such crucial changes and outcome from a newly established government entity, undergoing a difficult transition period. Be that as it may, we cannot really blame our people from having such high expectation given the years of underdevelopment, deprivation, and cycle of various forms of violence in our homeland. We must, by all means, continue to make the promise of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Bangsamoro Organic Law a reality.
In order to achieve or at the very least, manage all these, we are guided by our call for Moral Governance and our 12-point priority agenda which we aim to accomplish through our strategic directions namely 1.) Institution building and strengthening, 2.) strategic partnerships, and perhaps more importantly the 3.) Ramdam ng tao.
The Government of the Day is fully aware that for us to serve the Bansgamoro, we need to build and strengthen our institutions. We are currently working on new structures based on the enhance transition plan. These structures were carefully designed to reflect a ministerial form of government with emphasis on efficiency, transparency, and right-sizing. We also adopted new staffing pattern that would complement these structures. However, we also understand that reorganizing the bureaucracies and making them responsive to the needs of our people would also entail getting right people across the levels of bureaucracy. As such, pursuant to the implementation of independent, strictly merit-based, credible placement and hiring process enjoined by the BOL, we have launched the Bansgamoro Job Portal that serves as a platform where applicants would be able to search and apply for jobs in the Bangsamoro Government. As of yesterday, the portal has received more than 290, 000 applications for the 4, 094 positions posted. And as I have mentioned before, people with integrity, necessary qualifications, skills, and passion to serve the Bangsamoro, have a place in the new bureaucracy.
In order to overcome the challenges posed by the transition period and the ongoing pandemic, we need to engage in strategic partnership and this has been particularly evident in our continuing battle against COVID19.
The covid19 pandemic is primarily a health crisis but we all know that managing the spread of the virus and protecting our people require convergence of efforts from pertinent ministries and offices in the Bangsamoro region. As such, we were quick in constituting the Bangsamoro inter agency task force on covid19. The inter-agency and convergence approach the BIATF was crucial in our effective management of the virus in the region which even the National Task Force took note of.
Partnership with our national counterparts is also key in the bangsamoro government’s programs and policies. This is evident in the implementation of nationally initiatives such as the Social Amelioration Program of the DSWD which was implemented by the MSSD in the BARMM.
We likewise engaged in partnership with our local and international civil society organizations, and of course to our local government units as they are at the forefront of our governance. These vertical and horizontal strategic partnerships were crucial in ensuring that our efforts were not only responsive but also complementary from the ground up. After all, we know that for us to truly and quickly heal as one, we need to move as one.
It is our commitment to bring the government closer to the people –ramdam ng tao– hence, the inception of programs such as Project TABANG (Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan), and AMBAG (Ayudang Medikal Mula sa Bangsamoro). The ramdan ng tao is also at the core of our ongoing COVID19 response. As of June 30, 2020, we have distributed at least 433, 161 food packs and relief goods to our target beneficiaries such as the indigents, poor, senior citizens, and other sectors of our society that are extremely affected by COVID19.
We likewise continue to implement programs and policies that would ease the pain and suffering of our people. The vital responses in out battle against COVID19 continue to evolve. At the earlier stages, what was needed then was to strengthen our testing capacity in the region. As such, we provided 14 million and 15 million pesos to Cotabato Regional and Medical Center and the Amai PakPak Medical Center, respectively for their laboratory upgrades. Both hospitals are now conducting PCR test in the region.
With the influx of LSIs, ROFs, and Sabah transferees returning to the Bangsamoro Region, we see the need to increase our isolation centers in the region. Just recently, the Ministry of Public Works has begun constructing 100-bed isolation facilities in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi following the establishment of our isolation centers in Maguindanao.
It is true that the challenges brought upon by COVID-19 has drastically affected the original calendar prepared by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. However, with the cooperation of our dear colleagues and the guidance of the Almighty Allah, we were able to file three out of the six priority codes with the other half to be transmitted soon. The various ministries and offices of the BARMM are also continuing their respective hiring process. Yes, this crisis has impacted our political transition, but the crisis also gave us the opportunity to test and show what we are actually capable of doing.
With three of our priority codes already filed in the Parliament, we are hoping that the support of our civil society partners will continue as we hurdle the difficult transition period. We have a vibrant civil society here in the Bangsamoro, many of which are with us during the difficult stages of the peace process. The role of civil society in the Bangsamoro can actually be situated in the thee strategic directions we have mentioned earlier. You can be our partners in strengthening our intuitions; we shall continue to engage with you in strategic partnerships, at higit sa lahat, magtulungan tayong masiguro na ang Bansgamoro Government ay ramdan ng tao.
Thank you so much and Wassalam.
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"Usapang Bangsamoro sa Panahon ng Pandemya" was a hybrid online and onsite conference initiated by MINDANAO PEACEWEAVERS and the KAAKBAY BANGSAMORO WORKING GROUP in collaboration with Balay Rehabilitation Center, Inc (Balay), Catholic Relief Services – Philippines (CRS), Christians for Peace Movement (CfPM), forumZFD, Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), Kutawato Multimedia Network (Kumunet), Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), Organization of Teduray and Lambangian Conference (OTLAC), United Youth for Peace and Development (UNYPAD), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), International Monitoring Team – Civilian Protection Component (IMT-CPC), League of Bangsamoro Organization (LBO), Mangungaya Mindanao Incorporated (MMI), Mindanao Action for Peace and Development Initiatives, Inc. (MAPAD), Moro Women Development and Cultural Center, Inc. (MWDECC), Teduray Lambangian Women’s Organization Inc. (TLWOI), Timuay Justice and Governance (TJG), UnYPhil-Women (Unyphil), and World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. It was also attended by international organizations and humanitarian groups who are pro-active stakeholders of peace.
