OFWs happy over MILF communities

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Kingdom expressed gratitude on Thursday over the “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” project launched this week by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino lll at the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao, southern Philippines.
“The move of the government proves that it is sincere in its efforts to uplift the health, education and livelihood of communities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” said the OFWs who requested that they not be named. They are Filipino Muslims from Maguindanao in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
They were reacting to an announcement from the Philippine Embassy regarding the “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” project which focuses on health, education, and livelihood services for the MILF communities will be done through an inter-agency mechanism,
“Sajahatra Bangsamoro,” an Arabic-Melayu-Bahasa derivative which means “Peace Bangsamoro,” is Aquino's concrete peace initiative and assistance for MILF communities.
“The program signifies the partnership of the Philippine government and the MILF in working towards peace and development of Bangsamoro communities as well as the entire country,” Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago told Arab News.
The “Sajahatra Bangsamoro” project will focus on the provision of health insurance by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) ; upgrading of community-based health services by the Department of Health (DOH); provision of college scholarships and technical and vocational training by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA); educational assistance to “madaris” (Islamic schools) and private schools by the Department of Education (DepEd); needs assessment of selected Bangsamoro communities; Cash- for -Work Program through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); among others.
Tago said the launching of the project was also attended by MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim, presidential adviser on peace process Teresita Quintos Deles, government partners and MILF peace panels, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Dato Ab'Ghafar, representatives of involved government agencies, and other high-ranking government officials and foreign dignitaries.
Tago added that a ceremonial turnover of services of identified beneficiaries and medical mission highlighted the launching ceremony. The medical mission will be open not only to MILF-identified communities but also to neighboring communities as well.