Deputy Speaker and Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman sounded like a proud father over the achievements of Lamitan City in recent years as it has finally overcome its image as a violent place.
House Deputy Speaker and Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman (ARMM Bureau of Public Information via Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Not so long ago, Lamitan City entered the national limelight as a stage for war and terrorism. But now, it is the hallmark and prime example of human resilience overcoming great adversity,” said Hataman.
“In 2016, for the first time in the 29-year existence of the now-dismantled Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Lamitan City was the very first recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) in the whole region,” the House leader noted.
Hataman served as governor of the ARMM, which has been replaced by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).
Lamitan, one of two Christian settlements in the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan, won the coveted award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the next three years.
“And year after year since then, Lamitan City has earned the SGLG distinction. The Basilan provincial government and the Municipalities of Maluso and Sumisip followed suit. We hope that more LGUs in BARMM will be recognized next year,” Hataman added.
It can be recalled that on June 2, 2001, some 40 to 60 members of terrorist group Abu Sayyaf entered Lamitan and took over a church and a hospital. Priests, medical staff, and patients were taken hostage in what has been referred to as the Siege of Lamitan.
There were a handful of casualties from the terrorists, responding government forces, and civilians. Thousands were forced to flee from the fighting.
Fast forward to 2019 and some 28 of BARMM’s local government units (LGUs), including Lamitan, earned the SGLG award.
The award was given in recognition of the LGUs’ progress and performance on the following governance areas: financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection; peace and order; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental protection; and tourism culture and the arts.
“The awards are well-deserved. We are glad that all the reforms we initiated and the hard work we put into it have really resulted in great things for our region. This award is for every Moro who dreamed of a better homeland and labored to get there,” Hataman said.
“In 2016, for the first time in the 29-year existence of the now-dismantled Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Lamitan City was the very first recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) in the whole region,” the House leader noted.
Hataman served as governor of the ARMM, which has been replaced by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM).
Lamitan, one of two Christian settlements in the predominantly Muslim province of Basilan, won the coveted award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the next three years.
“And year after year since then, Lamitan City has earned the SGLG distinction. The Basilan provincial government and the Municipalities of Maluso and Sumisip followed suit. We hope that more LGUs in BARMM will be recognized next year,” Hataman added.
It can be recalled that on June 2, 2001, some 40 to 60 members of terrorist group Abu Sayyaf entered Lamitan and took over a church and a hospital. Priests, medical staff, and patients were taken hostage in what has been referred to as the Siege of Lamitan.
There were a handful of casualties from the terrorists, responding government forces, and civilians. Thousands were forced to flee from the fighting.
Fast forward to 2019 and some 28 of BARMM’s local government units (LGUs), including Lamitan, earned the SGLG award.
The award was given in recognition of the LGUs’ progress and performance on the following governance areas: financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection; peace and order; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental protection; and tourism culture and the arts.
“The awards are well-deserved. We are glad that all the reforms we initiated and the hard work we put into it have really resulted in great things for our region. This award is for every Moro who dreamed of a better homeland and labored to get there,” Hataman said.
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