Moro barangay public servants get allowances from non-BARMM LGU

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The provincial government of Cotabato in Region 12 on Friday, November 22, distributed P5.9 million worth of honoraria for health workers, child development workers and nutrition scholars in the eight newly-created Bangsamoro towns in the province.

Residents of the eight Bangsamoro towns, although inside Cotabato province in Administrative Region 12, are no longer under the watch of Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza since after they voted in favor of the inclusion of their domains in the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during a plebiscite in 2019.

Radio reports in Central Mindanao cities and provinces on Saturday morning, November 23, stated that the office of Mendoza, chairperson of the multi-sector Regional Development Council 12, provided 324 barangay health workers, 51 barangay nutrition scholars and 103 child development workers with a P12,000 allowance each, covering a period of 12 months.

The stipends were released to beneficiaries by employees of the Cotabato local government unit at the provincial capitol in Kidapawan City, in the presence of Mendoza and a visitor, Sen. Imee Marcos, who was in the province then for a meeting with the governor.

The new Bangsamoro towns in Cotabato province covers 63 predominantly Moro barangays originally inside territories of municipal governments under Mendoza’s administration.

Mendoza was quoted in Saturday’s radio reports as saying that her office will continue to provide technical and administrative support to the Bangsamoro barangays in BARMM’s Special Geographic Area in Cotabato province while efforts to fully operationalize the eight newly-established municipalities are still underway.

There are enclaves of the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the eight BARMM municipalities, Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan and Ligawasan, that were created early this year via separate enabling measures drafted by the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament and approved as regional laws via separate referendums administered by the Commission on Elections.

Mendoza said she will continue to reach out to the residents of BARMM’s Special Geographic Area in her province in support of Malacañang separate peace overtures with the MILF and the MNLF.

The chairman of the MNLF, Bangsamoro Labor Minister Muslimin Sema, told reporters via text message on Saturday that they are grateful to Mendoza for her continuing support for the Moro communities in BARMM’s Special Geographic Area.

“The office of the Cotabato governor is no longer obliged to serve the Moro communities in the Special Geographic Area but it has not closed its doors to its residents who need help despite being in areas not covered by Cotabato province anymore,” Sema said.