Basilan Agenda

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Governor Mujiv Hataman has met with local government leaders of Basilan, and Western Mindanao-based top military and police officials in Isabela City during a peace and development multi-sectoral forum. Hataman conferred with Gov. Jum Akbar, Vice Gov. Al-Rasheed Sakalahul, mayors, police and military officials regarding the implementation and importance of the reform thrusts of the ARMM bureaucracy, intended for Basilan's socio-economic development, good governance, and improving peace and security. (Nonoy E. Lacson)

Tawi-tawi Tourism

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi - Local and foreign tourist arrivals here are continuing in the province and local traders in this capital town are continuing their trade despite the recent kidnapping incident that have shaken the province early this month. Gov. Sadikul Sahali said the provincial tourism department has recorded continued arrivals of local ad foreign tourists in this capital town despite the kidnapping of a Dutch and a Swiss wildlife photographers off the coast of Panglima Sugala in this province. Sahali said the kidnapping of Lorenzo Vinciguerra, 47, Swiss national, and Dutchman Ewold Horn, 52, did not affect so much the tourism industry of the province. (Nonoy E. Lacson)

GMO Ban

DAVAO CITY - A group of organic farmers here said that if Davao City intends to ensure that agricultural biodiversity never becomes threatened, there must be a local ordinance banning any attempt to plant genetically modified crops in the city. Go Organic Davao City, a network of organic farming practitioners and their supporters, is pushing for the passage of the Ban GMO Ordinance here. "We need to protect the integrity of organic agriculture in Davao City," said Tina Delima of Go Organic Davao City and officer-in-charge of SIMCARRD. (Mick M. Basa)

Learning Program

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte - Far-flung village community folk, especially the out-of-school youth in the three towns of Lanao del Norte province in Northern Mindanao, are now benefiting from the Alternative Learning, Livelihood and Employment Assistance Program or ALLEAP. Officials of Lanao del Norte government said they have expanded the ALLEAP program in other towns in the province that will benefit more high school and college dropouts including highland people. The program will also benefit persons with disability, jobless adults, senior citizens, and others not served by formal education. (Mike U. Crismundo)

Peace, Development

BULUAN, Maguindanao - Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles expressed full support to social and development programs in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), emphasizing that "peace and development are intertwined efforts." In her message during the launching of the program dubbed "Catch Up Plan for Social Services in ARMM" held here, Deles pointed out that for the Aquino administration, "the promotion of peace and development should go together. These two are twin goals," she said. They should always be connected, coordinated and harmonized," she added. (Nonoy E. Lacson)