Basilan town slowly rises from the ashes of war, poverty

From the Mindanao Examiner (Feb 24): Basilan town slowly rises from the ashes of war, poverty

For the first time in more than two decades, the town of Tipo-Tipo in the Muslim province of Basilan is slowly rising from the ashes of war and poverty. Now, the town - once feared in the South because of strife and lawlessness – is synonymous to peace and progress, at least for the time being.

The town’s mayor, Ingatun Istarul, is all praises to Aquino government and the leadership of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for the peace and development support they are now getting.

“We like to thank President Benigno Aquino for giving priority and more funding to the Basilan circumferential road which links the town of Tipo-Tipo to Lamitan City. The Aquino and the regional governments through Governor Mujiv Hataman, has re-started the road project and once completed, this would have a very huge impact on our economy and the neighboring town of Al-Barka, especially on agriculture. It would hasten trade and commerce and improve also the local peace and order,” Istarul told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Just over the weekend, Istarul was among town officials who joined Hataman in a simple ground-breaking ceremony of a 1.8-kilometer road that would also connect Tipo-Tipo town to Al-Barka.

The project is worth about P34 million, according to Public Works and Highways Secretary Emil Sadain, in a brief interview at the sideline of the ceremony held outside the two-storey Tipo-Tipo municipal building where hundreds of villagers flocked to see the lowering of a time capsule in the spot where the road project would begin.

“This is just the start of another developmental project. We are doing all these projects to uplift the living conditions of the locals and help hasten the economy. This is true to other provinces in the ARMM,” Hataman said in a brief interview during a break in the ceremony.

Army Colonel Carlito Galvez, commander of military forces in Basilan province, said the local peace and order situation is improving since the signing in October last year of the Bangsamoro framework accord.

“Basilan now is different and I can see the improved peace and order condition and the continuous efforts of the national and regional governments to bring peace and development in Basilan province,” he said, referring to the accord the government signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

And the mayor agreed. “Since the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed, the peace and order drastically improved and our people are supporting the peace process and the Bangsamoro (accord). There is no more fighting between MILF rebels and our government forces in Basilan and with an improved peace and order comes the development and infrastructure projects that benefit the people,” Istarul said, adding the government also provided them housing projects for the poor through the so-called PAMANA program.

PAMANA is the acronym for “Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan," the government’s program and framework for peace and development in areas affected by armed conflict and communities covered by existing peace agreements. It seeks to reduce poverty, improve governance and empower communities.

The program, which literally means "Peaceful and Resilient Communities," is expected to benefit the poorest sector in the ARMM which is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao provinces, including the cities of Lamitan and Marawi.

http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20130224030840