Foreign donors still keen on ARMM

COTABATO CITY — Foreign donors are still willing to extend more socio-economic packages to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as "a lease of confidence" in the new regional administration.

ARMM Executive Secretary Nabil Tan, speaking on behalf of Gov. Parouk Hussin, said there have been recent considerable pledges of support for the government’s socio-economic thrusts for the autonomous region.

ARMM mayors earlier had feared a backlash in the regional government’s relations with foreign donors due to the mismanagement by former Gov. Nur Misuari of certain projects for impoverished communities.

On the contrary, Tan said the ARMM government even got reassurances of more support from the international community in last week’s briefing and fellowship session in Manila of representatives from foreign funding agencies, humanitarian organizations and 43 donor countries assisting socio-economic projects in the South.

Among those present in the gathering were Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Dante Canlas and Terence Jones, the United Nations’ top representative to the Philippines.

"The pledges were so encouraging. These will be a big boost to the efforts of the cash-strapped regional government in promoting peace and sustainable development in the region," Tan said.