COTABATO CITY, Philippines — President Aquino’s appointment of Moro professionals in his government has drawn salutations from the Muslim Filipino communities, which have authorities claimed to be lagging behind for decades and lacking representation to the national body politics.

“This has been long awaited. It is a dream seemingly realized under the present government,” Ustadz Jamal Abdurrahman, an Islamic preacher, said yesterday of the appointment of Muslim professionals in the Aquino administration.

“We are glad we made the right choice to vote for him (Mr. Aquino) in the last elections,” Abdurrahman added. (Ali Macabalang)

Collective effort

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) headed by Secretary Bai Omera D. Dianalan Lucman has reactivated the “Inter-Agency Forum on the Welfare of the Muslim Filipinos” for being an effective tool in mustering various government offices' collective efforts.

Lucman said that through the inter-agency meetings, the Commission opens its line of communication among diverse groups which may contribute in making its responses to the people it serves faster, better, and more effective.” Lucman cited the NCMF’s powers, which implies that it can tap the help and cooperation of other entities, public or even private, to implement its programs and projects. (Edd Usman)

Forest project

BUTUAN CITY – Foreign groups have heeded the country’s call for a greener country by launching a P150-million permaculture project in Mindanao.

Initially, this foreign group is eyeing to rehabilitate Sarangani’s pristine forest. The project will be a of between Bentley House International Corp (BHIC), WeForst, Terra Genesis, and Jimi Hendrix Foundation.

This developed after the BHIC received a letter from Datu Edmund D. Pangilan, provincial chieftain of the 74,000-hectare ancestral lands of the B’laan and Tagakaulo tribes requesting them to establish a project in the area to employ thousands of Lumads that live below the poverty line. (Mike Crismundo)

Recycling fair

KORONADAL CITY (PIA) – Residents of this city and neighboring places as well as offices in the area can earn from recyclable waste materials this coming June 24.

The Region 12 office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-12), through the Region 12 Environmental Management Bureau (EMB 12), and the Koronadal City Environment and Natural Resources Office will hold a mini-recyclable waste fair on June 24 in relation to the DENR 12’s month-long Environment celebration.

Greening drive

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) – The city government here is pushing for the immediate implementation of the greening program of the national government which set an ambitious goal of planting 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares for the period 2011 to 2016.

The goal is translated in Executive Order No. 26 which intends to mitigate the impact of climate change. In a resolution recently passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, it requested City Mayor Darlene Magnolia R. Antonino-Custodio and all local government offices to adopt measures geared towards the immediate implementation of and compliance with Executive Order No.26, known as the “National Greening Program.”