COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Incumbent officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have assured a smooth transition process between them and the officers-in-charge (OICs) to be appointed by President Aquino for some 20 months starting October 1 this year.

The term of office of incumbent 26 ARMM elected officials will end on September 30, yet this early, ARMM acting Gov. Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong and his top coterminous executives are already preparing for smooth turnover of “leadership with good legacies” to the OICs.

“While preparing for a smooth transition of leadership, we are renewing our call on the entire workforce of the ARMM governance to continue delivering services the best they could for the welfare of the more than four million regional populace,” Adiong said Thursday.

On June 30, President Aquino signed into law a measure postponing the Aug. 8, 2011 ARMM elections and authorizing him to appoint OICs he would task to institute reforms in the region’s electoral and operation systems.

Republic Act (RA) 10153, which prescribes for the synchronization of the Aug. 8 ARMM polls with the 2013 midterm elections, however, has been challenged in three petitions filed on July 1 and 4 before the Supreme Court (SC) by concerned politicians and lawyers questioning its constitutionality.

The High Tribunal in full court session started tackling last Monday the petitions, which all seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the postponement of the regional elections and the appointment of OICs.

“Amid all these, we are setting up a mechanism on the ground for the smooth handing over of the ARMM leadership to the incoming OICs,” Regional Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said at the weekly “Tapatan sa ARMM” media forum here on Wednesday.

Sinarimbo said the Adiong administration is fast-tracking the implementation socio-economic and development programs to pave the way for an easier transition process.

“It would be much smoother if we turnover completed projects that are ongoing in the region to the new government team,” he stressed.

Sinarimbo said they were setting up their own team that would handle the transition process.

ARMM’s Department of Health Secretary Dr. Kadil Sinolinding Jr. shared Sinarimbo’s view citing that his office, for instance, has been carrying out at a faster phase health programs that have gained recognition from international agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We just want to attend to our jobs religiously in the best of our capability,” he said at the same media forum where his office launched a breastfeeding program under the theme “Isulong ang Breastfeeding – Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!” in celebration of the 37th National Nutrition Month held every July in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 491, or the Philippine Nutrition Law.

Sinolinding said the DoH-ARMM records showed a significant increase of 66 percent in 2010 of breastfeeding mothers in the region compared to 57 percent in 2009 and 54 percent in 2008.

He also lauded the members of the Cotabato media for their contributions to the success of the breastfeeding program through continuous television, radio, and newspaper exposures the past several years.