SULU (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 26, 2014) – Women power is indeed working effectively in the southern Filipino province of Sulu and one such group has proven this – the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council – which is actively involved in various peace and development projects aimed at helping women themselves and turn them into more responsible and productive citizens.
Hajja Nurunisah Tan, who heads the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council, said their group has been working to transform women, particularly the poor, and make them partners in peace and progress by providing sustainable livelihood projects, among others.
She said poor women and children are their priorities now in the province and that they are working closely with various government agencies and the provincial and municipal governments, to sustain many projects.
“We have been working to help the women, especially the poor, and the children and we hope that we may be able to serve as many people as we can. We are coordinating with various agencies, the Sulu provincial and municipal government,” Tan, who is also a registered nurse, said.
She said they also launched a regular feeding program for indigent children and held medical and humanitarian missions in coordination with the Integrated Provincial Health Office in different areas in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.
“Target namin na babaan ang maternal death rate kung kaya’t every Sunday may free clinic kami at medicines (kaming ibinibigay) at we attend to mothers and children. Malaki rin dito ang percentage ng maternal rate at bumababa na rin kami sa municipal level, sa RHU (Regional Health Unit) at tulong-tulong kaming lahat para bumaba talaga ang maternal rate,” Tan, wife of Sulu Vice Gov. Sakur Tan, said.
She said they are also educating women about the Republic Act 9262 or Violence against Women and their Children Act of 2004 also in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“Actually ang data eh nasa DSWD, pero mula ng mag open kami ay every week mayroon cases ng VAWC, tapos mga child abuse, one or two (cases) every week at pag nag complain ang victims at may mga witnesses sila ipakukulong talaga namin. May isang bata nga talaga na puro pasa dahil yun sa step father na tumakas pero hinabol talaga ng mga pulis dahil nag-complain ang mother kaya ngayon nasa jail siya,” she said.
Despite the lack of funds, Tan, whose son Totoh Tan is the current Sulu governor, said they managed to carry out their various programs and projects over the years. The Sulu provincial government also built a new building to house the headquarters of the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council in the capital town of Jolo.
Support
Just last month, Mujiv Hataman, governor of the Muslim autonomous region, pledged to help and support the programs of the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council. Hataman asked Tan how the regional government can assist the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council.
“Poverty, yun ang pinakamalaking problema dito kaya nga last December 24 ay nandito si RG (Regional Governor Hataman), sabi ko sa kanya tulungan mo kami kasi yun mga kababaihan dito eh walang hanap-buhay…almost 80% walang hanap-buhay at nasa bahay lang tapos yun mga asawa nila minsan wala rin hanap-buhay so at least ang sabi ko sa (pamamagitan ng) tulong ninyo eh makakapaglagay ng mga small scale na mga businesses at pwede na natin tulungan sila kahit papaano.mga vendors matutulungan natin,” Tan said.
She said Hataman vowed to help and even his wife, Rep. Djalia Hataman would also assist in providing livelihood projects through the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council.
“Dito sabi ko livelihood (program) so yun nga nagkatugma dahil yun din daw ang plano ng misis (Rep. Djalia Hataman) niya…small scale businesses…vending, papahiram ng capital tapos small businesses, mga vendors, tapos every week sabi niya kahit konti lang ay dapat may return (ng capital) at hindi yun dole out para naman hindi sabihin na dole out o bigay lang yan, so ang iba eh hindi na nila gagamitin para sa business kasi bigay naman ito, so ang labas eh hindi dole out at maghanap-buhay sila…talagang residente sila ng area na yan at namo-monitor namin na hindi yun come and go na bibigyan mo ng konting halaga eh hindi na babalik dito sa Jolo o hindi namin alam kung ang municipality, hindi , so we will involved all the 19 municipalities lahat yan at may kanya-kanyang papel yan kung anong plano ang gagawin namin na makakapaghanap-buhay talaga sila and at saka may returns na yun returns every month may iba na naman grupo ang matutulungan,” Tan said.
“When I brought out the plan of small-scale business (for the women), so sabi (ni RG) pagbalik ng asawa niya gusto nilang makipag-usap sa amin para daw lahat ng tulong sa kababaihan ididirekta na sa Sulu Provincial Women’s Council at sinabi ko na I can assure you na pag Sulu Provincial Women’s Council ay talagang makikita ninyong implemented (ang mga proyekto) at sabi ko monitored kasi,” she added.
Hataman told Tan that they had provided livelihood programs in other provinces, but have not seen any progress that would benefit poor families.
Tan assured Hataman that the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council would account every single centavo intended for pro-poor program.
“Sa ibang province daw ay marami silang naibibigay tapos hindi masyadong namo-monitor at tapos wala na raw at hindi na nila alam kung ano ang nangyayari kung nandiyan pa ba ang pera o kung may natulungan o wala at sabi ko (naman) I can assure you na lahat ng officers ko, head of offices ang sabi ko, ang members ang mga mayors lahat babae…puro president ng municipalities nila so nakaka-monitor talaga kami kung ano ang mga activities namin,” Tan said.
Last year, the Sulu Provincial Women’s Council with the support of the Sulu provincial and municipal governments, including various sectors, donated over P3 million in cash and relief goods to war refugees in Zamboanga City, and again just last month. (Mindanao Examiner)
20