By Edwin Fernandez and Noel Punzalan | PNA
COTABATO CITY — A ranking official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has directed all local chief executives (LCEs) to hold seminars, training and the like within the region to generate income for the new political entity.
Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) – BARMM Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said Monday the move is consistent with the provisions of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), and aims to enhance the creation and generation of revenues in the region and trigger economic activities, generating employment.
“Hold pieces of training, seminars here than outside BARMM,” he said. While Sinarimbo’s directive applies to all LGUs, he offered exemptions, such as activities funded by “development partners” that may be held outside BARMM for “security reasons” or the event requires facilities that are not available within the BARMM.
Development partners refer to international agencies, for instance, the United Nations, the United States Agency for International Development, the Australian Agency for International Development, and others that are actively supporting the development of Muslim Mindanao.
LCEs are also required to submit a written report of LGU activities one week after the event.
Sinarimbo said his directive would “ensure the resources of the region are circulated within and trigger economic activities and create employment.”
“Just imagine if an LGU will hold meetings in an establishment within the region and the 20 persons meeting will order ‘pastil’ (sautéed spiced chicken wrapped with fragrant rice in banana leaves),” Sinarimbo said.
This means, he said, that the restaurant hosting the LGU event would need additional workers and increase the demand for banana leaves and chicken.
“Such would also require more people to harvest and cut banana leaves and, in turn, give jobs to ‘sikad’ (pedicab drivers) to deliver the banana leaves,” he said.
Sinarimbo added that flourishing businesses like restaurants would pay their income tax to the region, which in turn would be used for delivering government services to constituents.
“Let us all support our region,” he said. In the past, the defunct ARMM and the LGUs under it had the habit of holding training, seminars, and workshops outside the region, such as Davao, Manila, and Baguio.
Sinarimbo said the MILG-BARMM wanted to change the old practice and help the new political entity become an income-generating region.
