New agriculture and fisheries council officers take oath

COTABATO City, Philippines - Officials on Tuesday launched the revitalized, more inclusive Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AFC) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to help farmers to thrive under the political umbrella of the new Bangsamoro entity.

New officials of the regional AFC, led by its chairman, Abdulrahman Macabangon, and vice-chairman, lawyer Makmod Mending, Jr., who is ARMM’s incumbent regional agriculture secretary, were sworn in to office Tuesday by Engineer Ariel Cayanan, executive director of the Philippine Council on Agriculture and Fisheries.

The event was held at the newly-refurbished ARMM Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.

The mass oath-taking of the new set of regional AFC officials was preceded by Monday’s sectoral peace and development dialogue, organized by Mending’s office, among members of the council from across ARMM.

Cayanan said he looks forward to a successful transition from the ARMM to the new Bangsamoro political entity, which is expected to take place by early 2015.

Cayanan said he is elated with the ARMM’s continuing community socio-economic interventions, with President Benigno Aquino III as main benefactor, benefiting peasants and fisherfolks in the autonomous region.

Regional agriculture officials said the national government and the office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman poured in some P500 million worth of agricultural grants, in form of equipment, fertilizer and seed assistance, to local farming communities in the past 24 months.

A chunk of the assistance package benefited farming organizations in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, mostly comprised of peasants who are either members, or supporters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Functions and powers of the national agriculture department were devolved to the ARMM 25 years ago based on its first charter, Republic Act 6734, which became R.A. 9054 in 2001 through a plebiscite.

Mending said they are now preparing for the transition from the autonomous region to the Bangsamoro political entity.

The creation of the self-governing outfit, via the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is now in Congress, is premised on the final peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Meantime we shall embark on more projects to empower our peasant and fishery sectors as part of the preparations for the Bangsamoro to become a very productive Moro homeland,” Mending said.