Tuesday, April 29, 2014

4,000 MILF family members benefit from IPHO-Maguindanao outreach mission

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 29): 4,000 MILF family members benefit from IPHO-Maguindanao outreach mission
 
DATU ABDULLAH SANGKI, Maguindanao, April 29 (PNA) -- Over 4,000 individuals, mostly family members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, benefited from a day-long health outreach program in Barangay Kayakaya here conducted Tuesday by province’s Integrated Provincial Health Office.

The village, together with the nearby communities of Mao, Old Maganoy, Malatimon, Kabal and Kayanga, forms part of the sprawling headquarters of the MILF 106th Base Command here headed by Commander Wahid Tundok.

Early on, government and MILF peace brokers inked the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), an inclusive peace settlement paving the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro entity that would replace the old, graft-ridden Autonomour Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) set up.

The CAB is a five-page, 12-point manuscript representing the final peace agreement between the GPH and MILF.

Only recently, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission submitted before President Benigno S. Aquino III the final draft of the Bangsamoro basic law designed to replace the Muslim organic act that created the ARMM.

“This just shows that the government is sincere in bringing back to the mainstream society the MILF members and their families as they are also part of our republic,” said Dr. Tahir Sulaik, IPHO-Maguindanao chief.

Apart from dozens of health workers and nurses, Sulaik brought along with him 10 doctors in the medical-surgical-dental mission here.

“This day alone, we would be conducting prenatal checkup to 107 pregnant women in the area,” he stressed.

Edris Sangki, Kayakaya village chairman, said development is also emerging in the area, with the impending completion of the CAB between government and MILF.

“There is now peace in area. We now live without fear from skirmishes between military and MILF forces,” he beamed.

In addition, Sangki bared a plan by Delinanas, a subsidiary of Del Monte Philippines, to tap 150-hectares of land in his village for the pineapple production by 2015.

He said Delinanas people have initially held talks with him and municipal officials led by Mayor Mariam Mangudadatu over the matter.

“We have to make sure that my co-villagers are healthy as they would be accommodated to work in the Delinanas plantation once it pushes through,” the village chief said.

Sulaik said most prevalent disease they are currently monitoring is measles, which has so far affected 176 constituents in the province since January this year.

Sulaik said the figure is quite alarming considering that the province recorded zero measles cases during the past five years.

He noted IPHO-Maguindanao supply on measles vaccines is slowly running low, considering the dramatic increase in the number of measles cases in the province.

Sulaik said DOH-Manila is yet to launch its nationwide anti-measles campaign by September this year.

“Measles is contagious as it is airborne. It could also be fatal especially to children if not treated well,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=638983

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