PARANG, MAGUINDANAO – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), along with the 16 other regions of the country, participated Thursday, Sept. 30, in the simultaneous launching of The Duterte Legacy: Barangayanihan Caravan towards National Recovery.
The event – organized by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), and other government agencies– highlighted the projects, programs, and accomplishments of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that brought change to the lives of the Filipino people.
Legacy within 5 years
In his video message, PCOO Sec. Martin Andanar underscored that over the five years since President Duterte assumed leadership, a chain of positive changes propelled through his ‘Tapang at Malasakit Agenda’ against corruption, criminalities, and societal-ills while “ensuring economic prosperity, social services, and upholding of human rights aspect of governance.”
He highlighted some of the projects of the current administration such as Dutertenomics, 10 Point Socioeconomic Agenda, “Build, Build, Build Program”, Kalinga at Malasakit para sa mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign, and Anti-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism campaign, among others.
“Sa kabila ng pandemya, napanatili natin ang Gross Domestic Products (GDP) at paglago ng ekonomiya sa 6-percent. Nakapagtala rin tayo ng 5-percent to GDP Infrastructures Spending, at sa social services naman ay Universal Health Care, Free Tuition for Higher Educations, institutionalization of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), at Alternative Learning System,” Andanar said.
“As we are in the tail end of our governance, may you continue to support us and the Duterte Administration in fulfilling our promises of bringing closer to the Filipino people and providing a comfortable life for all. Embrace it (legacy), make use of it, and build on it,” Andanar expressed.
Commitment to support “unhampered pursuit of autonomy”
On the other hand, National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is a native from the town of Parang, affirmed that significant changes have happened in the region since the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was ratified and implemented in 2019.
“Naysayers believed that BARMM’S autonomy would remain just a dream and an empty campaign promise. But [former] Mayor Duterte, a son of Mindanao, proved them wrong by bringing to fruition the aspirations of our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters,” said Lorenzana, who also serves as a cabinet officer for Regional Development and Security in BARMM.
He reiterated the support of the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in maintaining the region’s security for its unhampered pursuit of autonomy, self-determination, and development.
Testimonies of BARMM program beneficiaries
Recipients of various programs of the BARMM ministries were also presented during the activity, such as the Project Tugon ng Gobyernong Nagmamalasakit of the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG), and other programs of the ministries of Science and Technology (MOST) and Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE).
Hadji Alimudin Malang, a former rebel since the 1970s and an ex-member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), who has now returned to the fold of the law, shared that he is thankful to the national government for granting autonomy and governance for the Bangsamoro people.
“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat kay Pangulong Duterte [dahil] siya ang nagsilbing tulay upang marating namin ang [pagkakaroon ng] isang Bangsamoro Government. Susuportahan ko ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas at BARMM sa lahat ng aking makakaya,” Malang said.
During the event, other BARMM ministries also provided social services to some selected beneficiaries such the provision of 200 sacks of rice, food packs, medicines, and free call for Overseas Filipino Workers.
BARMM Assistant Senior Minister Abdullah ‘Dong’ Cusain said in an interview that the President’s performance was “very satisfactory for us.”
“Iyong mga legacies na discussed kanina are just very small part ng legacies na naidulot ng Presidente. And we would just like to stress for the Bangsamoro people, that the establishment of this political entity (BARMM) is probably the best legacy that the President has given to the Bangsamoro people and to the people of Mindanao, ” Cusain said.
Also present at the event were Parang Municipal Mayor Cahar Ibay, Vice-Mayor Adnan Biruar, and other government agencies, sectors, and media groups. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
