Chiz hails P-Noy's visit to MILF territory

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Chiz Escudero on Tuesday lauded President Benigno Aquino III for making history when he visited a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camp in Sultan Kudarat to show his commitment to the peace process in Mindanao.

“He is making history, it’s bold, it’s courageous, and I salute him for it,” Escudero said of the President’s effort to reach out to the MILF.

“It is part, I believe, of confidence building measures that are necessary to make the framework agreement work and achieve lasting peace in Mindanao,” Escudero added.

In a statement, Escudero said President Aquino's gesture to personally tackle and find solutions to the peace problem in Mindanao is a grand and magnanimous act coming from the highest leader of the land.

President Aquino visited the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute compound in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao to launch the socio-economic initiative called Sajahatra Bangsamoro in preparation for the creation of the autonomous region spelled out under the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).

Sajahatra Bangsamoro is an initiative aimed at uplifting the health, education and livelihood conditions of MILF communities to pave the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity that was agreed upon between the government and the MILF.

Sajahatra Bangsamoro literally means Peace Bangsamoro in Arabic and it is Aquino’s concrete manifestation of his commitment to achieve enduring peace in the Mindanao region.

The Sajahatra Bangsamoro will focus on health, education and livelihood services that would be facilitated through an inter-agency campaign.

Included in the program are provisions of health insurance by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), upgrading of community-based health services by the Department of Health (DOH): awarding of of college scholarships and technical-vocational training by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), respectively.

Educational assistance will also be provided by the Department of Education to madaris (Islamic schools) and private schools.

The administration also vows to look into the needs of selected Bangsamoro communities and the Cash for Work Program, which will be initiated through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.