Hataman reiterated his calls for clean governance in the ARMM and pledged to bring more peace and development projects in the five provinces under the Muslim region which is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, including the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
In his SORA, Hataman thanked all those who helped and supported him in introducing various reforms for better governance in the ARMM. He praised the provincial governors of the Muslim regions for their cooperation and support, including members of the Regional Legislative Assembly and town and city mayors.
Hataman also invited San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada to the SORA.
Ejercito Estrada, who is running for senator in 2012 mid-term polls, even snapped a photo of Hataman while he was delivering his SORA and posted it to his Facebook page and said: “Gov. Mujiv Hataman giving his State of the Region Address at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center, ARMM Government Center, Cotabato City. Beautiful session hall!”
Muslims also took turns in taking photos of them with Ejercito Estrada.
In his speech, Hataman said enumerated the problems besetting the ARMM and the solutions the government is doing in addressing them.
He made particular mention of the lack of school buildings and teachers in the ARMM, including the huge debts it accumulated over the decades under different governors.
He said the Australian government is actively supporting efforts to address some of the problems in ARMM through the so-called Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao in collaboration with the Department of Education in the region.
“Inaasahan natin na sa pagdating ng 2013, ay makakapagpatayo tayo ng 2,950 na school building at malamang ay mahihigitan pa natin ito dahil sa 2,500 school-building projects ng BEAM-ARMM na kabahagi ng P3.9 bilyon na tulong mula sa Aus-AID at Australian government. Kung kaya’t maraming salamat sa Australian government, maraming salamat sa Aus-AID,” Hataman, who delivered his statement in Pilipino, said.
“Ang kakulangan natin sa mga guro ay mapupunuan na rin po natin pagdating ng 2013. Nangako po si Pangulong Aquino at ng DBM at maibibigay sa atin ng mahigit 2000 item ng kakulangan pagdating sa 2013. Sa kabuuan, ang mga kakulangang nabanggit ay tuluyan na mapupunuan sa patuloy na pag-lilinis ng DepEd-ARMM sa talaan ng estudyante. Ang ating paglilinis ay nagbigay daan sa pagdiskubre ng 75,229 ghost students nuong taong 2012,” he added. (Read full text of SORA on this URL: https://mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20121218102208)
Hataman also announced that they are now in the process of paying some P1.9 billion in overdue debts, mostly from unremitted payments of employees accumulated in the pasts, to Government Service Insurance System.
“Eto po ang magandang balita, at sa susunod na taon, ay tuluyan na nating mababayaran ang kabuuang utang ng DepED-ARMM na humigit-kumulang po ng P1.9 billion alinsunod sa pangako at kagustuhan ng Pangulong Aquino na matuldukan na ang utang na ito. Pero eto po ang sambit ng ating pangulo, kung sino ang nagwaldas ng pera ng GSIS ay dapat lamang po na pananagutin natin. Hindi po pwede walang magbabayad dito sa utang na ito at hindi rin daw pwede, sabi ng ating Pangulo na walang managot at makulong sa P1.9 billion na ito,” he said.
He also praised Education Sec. Jamar Kulayan for his efforts and reforms in fighting corruption in the Department of Education that resulted to the eradication of “ghost teachers and students” and huge savings for the government .
“Dahil sa pagsusumikap ng DepEd sa pagpapatupad ng repormang pinansyal, nakalikom ito ng P224,227,269 at kung kaya’t inatasan na natin si Sec. Jamar Kulayan na magsimula ng pagbayad ng back pays at salary differential ng 2011 at 2012,” Hataman said.
For his closing remark, Hataman appealed for more support from Muslims and Christians alike, to help the government in reforming the ARMM and transform the region into an economic hub in the southern Philippines.
“Mga kababayan, sama-sama nating ituloy ang ating naumpisahang reporma. Alalahanin natin na kung walang mulat na mamamayan na nagsusulong ng reporma, walang saysay kahit ano pa mang ganda at porma ng pamamahalaang maitatatag. Handa na tayong harapin ang bukas, ngayon,” he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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