Batu-Batu, the hidden beauty in Tawi-Tawi

By Amiel Mark Cagayan,VERA Files

Behind the horrors of kidnappings that put Tawi-Tawi in the headlines, there's a lot of beauty to discover in the island province.

Nestled in the lush forests with a full view of the endless sea is barangay Batu-Batu, in the municipality of Panglima Sugala.

Blessed with abundant natural resources, the people thrive on the produce of the sea and their farmlands.
Barter trade, the ancient system method of commercial transaction where in which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money, is still very much alive in Batu-Batu. Saturdays, people flock to the market, including those from nearby islands to trade.

The town of Panglima Sugala is a unique crucible of culture. Of the  50,000 population, 99 per cent are Muslims and only one percent are Christians. The Muslims generally are from the Tausug tribe while the Christians are a mixture of Visayan, Ilonggos, Ilocanos and Bicolanos.

There is deep respect in matters of faith among the people of Panglima Sugala. It's not unusual to see Muslims join in the religious celebrations of the Christian minority. In Christian fiestas, the Muslims not only take part in the festivities but also take part in the Christian rituals.

It's a sight to see a Muslim carrying a Sto. Niño while dancing gaily to the beat of the drums.

Visitors to the place can only wish that the world would be better if everybody would have that open-minded spirituality practiced by the people of  Panglima Sugala and Batu-Batu.

Sahali extends charity to persons with disabilities

By Nash Tahang

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi (August 20)- In delivering his social responsibility, Governor Nurbert Sahali attended on Tuesday the Tawi-Tawi Alliance of Persons with Disabilities (TAPWD) program and doled out a charity to 17 beneficiaries of the organization at the Beachside Inn and Restaurant here.

  

The beneficiaries were composed of adults and children with inborn defects. 

Just after his arrival from a trip, Sahali immediately proceeded from the airport to the venue of the activity on invitation of the organization.

He said that he was happy to have been invited to the program and witnessed the presence of many defected adults and children who tried to live their normal lives despite disabilities. 

Sahali also said that persons with disabilities are luck to their families and blessings from the Almighty. “They are special people that we should give special treatment and support,” Sahali stressed.  

He cited DSWD and DEpEd for their programs that provide for the support and assistance to the defected persons and also assured the organization of his willingness to aid TAPWA.

Tawi-Tawi sponsors teachers’ review fees

By Nonoy Lacson

BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi – The provincial government of Tawi-Tawi in tandem with the province’s lone congressional district allotted some P4.2 million to shoulder the cost of review sessions for about 2,000 local applicants for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) examinations to be held on September 29.

Tawi-Tawi Lone District Representative Ruby Sahali said she allotted P2.2 million, which she have drawn from her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), while the provincial government contributed P2 million for the review cost for the 2,000 LET examinees from the province.

Sahali said the LET examinees started their review classes last July 20, which will end on September 21, a week before the scheduled LET examination in this capital town.

She said the review sessions are being held twice a week – during Saturdays and Sundays – at the Sandbar Lepa Convention Center here, with lecturers coming from various respected review centers in Manila.

“We want to make sure that many of our applicants for teachers will pass the LET examination this year, which is why we have sponsored the cost of their review that includes review books, meals, hotel accommodations, and review fees for the lecturers,” that lady lawmaker explained.

For his part, Tawi-Tawi Governor Nurbert Sahali said the provincial government is assisting the examinees to help the teachers acquire the necessary eligibility, a qualification to teach in the elementary level.

“The provincial government would like to provide quality education for our children, and this can only be achieved if we have good quality teachers teaching the young one’s of today,” the governor said.

This is one of the reasons why we have to hire the services of good lecturers, with some of them authors of LET review books to serve as reviewers for the 2,000 LET applicants, Governor Sahali explained.

The top officials of the province said they hope to have a good number of LET passers in this year’s LET examination, as they vowed to continue the program yearly for the province to have quality teachers.

Both Tawi-Tawi officials said they are also planning to sponsor the review cost for the other national 

examinations to be conducted in the province. (Manila Bulletin,  August 14, 2013)

DFA processed 3,000 passports for Sabah returnees

By Sali D. Jamasali

The on-going purge for illegal immigrants by Malaysian authorities in Sabah has caused thousands of Filipinos being apprehended and subsequently deported to Philippines after serving jail terms.  

This situation has alarmed the local government in Tawi-Tawi and took Congresswoman Ruby Sahali and his younger brother, Governor Nurbert Sahali to initiate a measure helping Filipino deportees acquire passports so that those who wanted to go back and work in Sabah may return fully documented.

A group of 15-man special team from Manila DFA arrived in Bongao last month and began processing passports for returnees, deportees and even regular applicants.

The venue of the one-stop processing center was at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall wherein all agencies concerned in the passporting procedure were housed together. 

 The agencies include DFA, DSWD, DOLE, NSO,  NCMF,  and OWWA.

In an interview with the 15-man special passporting team from DFA by Radyo ng Bayan Tawi-Tawi, the DFA passporting personnel disclosed that their presence in Tawi-Tawi was an initiative of Congresswoman and the Governor of Tawi-Tawi.

“It is the desire of the two officials that DFA is here in Tawi-Tawi because these officials want to help their people,” they said.

Meanwhile, OWWA Region IX Director Hassan Jumdain said that of the 3,000 approved applications DFA has already released about 1,200 passports to the early applicants.

He further said that the remaining documents will be released to the applicants before August 31 as this is the date DFA has pledged to release all the passports.

Solar dryers benefit Tawi-Tawi growers

Bongao, Tawi-Tawi — The Department of Trade and Industry of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DTI-ARMM) has provided solar dryers on stilts to organize seaweed producer groups in at least nine island-municipalities in the province of Tawi-Tawi.

DTI-ARMM officer-in-charge Provincial Director Nazrullah G. Masahud said each organized seaweed group had been allotted some P388.210 for solar dryers, which include a stockroom and production materials.

The solar dryer measures 60 feet by 40 feet, while the stockroom is 18 feet by 18 feet, according to Masahud. that the project is part of the P8.59 billion allotted by President Aquino under the Transition Investment Support Plan (TISP) – a roadmap of good governance, and reforms in the provinces and cities within the ARMM.

While admitting that there are many seaweed growers in the province, only one established and organized group per island-municipality was initially targeted.

“The project is a grant, and the beneficiaries are bound by a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA),” Masahud said.

The nine beneficiaries of the solar dryers on stilts are the towns of Sitangkai, Sibutu, Bongao, Sapa-Sapa, Tandubas, Languyan, South Ubian, Simunul, and Panglima Sugala.

The province of Tawi-Tawi has 11 island-municipalities.

For his part, monitoring officer Raja Lakandula Aming stressed that “the TISP closely monitors the project implementation in all phases in collaboration with other non-government and people’s organizations in the area.”

Meanwhile, the ceremonial turnover of the solar dryers was held at a local hotel here recently, and was led by DTI-ARMM Secretary Sangkula Tindick, and witnessed by personnel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and representatives from various people’s organizations.   (Nonoy E. Lacson, Manila Bulletin/July 29, 2013)

 

Dev’t programs for Tawi-Tawi up

Bongao, Tawi-Tawi – Right after taking his oath of office as the newly elected governor of Tawi-Tawi, the young Nurbert Sahali disclosed the four priorities that his administration will pursue to further enhance the progress and development being enjoyed by the people of the province.

According to Sahali, peace and security, social services, education, and livelihood programs will be his top priorities.

He said that he will continue to maintain the peace and security measures that his father, former Governor Sadikul Sahali, has implemented in the province.

Social services like health and sanitation programs are also necessary to promote the well-being of the people of the province, Sahali added.

He explained that the provincial government will also prioritize the implementation of education programs aimed at reducing the illiteracy rate in the province.

“This is considered as one of the essential factors in pushing the socio-economic development for the people here,” he said.

He likewise disclosed that the provincial government will implement various livelihood programs that will go well with the abilities and capabilities of most tribes in the province.

“We have to understand these tribes, their expertise and capabilities in order for the provincial government to address properly the kind of livelihood program to be provided to them, which would make them productive,” Sahali emphasized.

As this developed, Sahali said he is set to meet with the department heads of the provincial government this week to spell out the new policies that his administration will be adopting to further serve the people of Tawi-Tawi.

“The meeting with the department heads is important so that they will know the policies that my administration will be adopting to enhance further the services that my father, the former governor of the province, introduced to the people here,” he told the Manila Bulletin.

The meeting, he said will also serve as a way for him to make an evaluation of the previous programs father has introduced as part of the development program for the province.

“I want to know what government programs were successfully implemented, and if there is still a need to infuse more effort and funding to make the programs more productive for the benefit of the people here,” Sahali pointed out.   (Nonoy E. Lacson,  Manila Bulletin /July 2, 2013)