By Azer Parrocha/PNA
MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed two new commissioners to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
Duterte signed the appointment papers of new NCMF commissioners Samad Sarip Pangandaman and Abubakar Mangelen on Monday (Nov. 26) and were released to the media on Wednesday (Nov. 28).
Pangandaman, an engineer by profession, and Mangelen, a former Cotabato City police chief, will both serve for a term of four years.
Pangandaman and Mangelen will replace former NCMF commissioners Paisalin PD Tago and Abdulwahid Inju, respectively.
The NCMF is a government agency that advises the President in the formulation, coordination, implementation, and monitoring of policies, plans, programs and projects affecting Muslim Filipino communities
It acts as the primary government agency through which, Muslim Filipinos could seek government assistance and redress, and serve as medium through which such assistance may be extended to Muslim Filipinos
Moreover, it monitors and evaluates the performance of all existing policies and development programs of the government that seek to strengthen and uplift the socio-economic conditions of Muslim Filipinos and identify areas that need government intervention and support.
It also provides legal and technical services for the survey, adjudication, titling, and development of Muslim Filipino ancestral lands and settlements proclaimed by the government for the Muslim Filipinos and issue certificates of ancestral land/domain titles.
It undertakes studies, establishment and maintenance of ethnographic research centers and museums on the culture and institutions of Muslim Filipinos.
The NCMF has nine commissioners including the secretary/chief executive officer, who will represent the commission at cabinet-level meetings with the President.