Maguindanao lauded for good governance

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Employees of the Maguindanao provincial government were elated with the recognition by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) of their public administration practices.

Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu on Tuesday received a DILG citation plaque for his administration’s having passed five local governance assessment areas in 2014 - good financial housekeeping, disaster preparedness, peace and order, environmental management and business friendliness competitiveness.

The plaque, bearing the signature of DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, was released July 13 yet, but was turned over to Mangudadatu only last Monday, during the closing program of the provincial government’s good governance and public administration workshop in Davao City.

The three-day activity, bankrolled by Mangudadatu’s office, was assisted by the DILG.

The workshop was attended by division chiefs in the office of Mangudadatu and senior provincial research and planning officials.

“It was a simple recognition but so special and important to us, employees of the provincial government,” said Lynette Estandarte, chief budget officer of the provincial government.

Provincial employees said the office of the Maguindanao governor during the time of Mangudadatu’s predecessor, the late Andal Ampatuan Sr., was so mismanaged that they did not even have any program for governance efficiency, human resource development and disaster mitigation initiatives.

A senior member of the provincial board, lawyer Bobby Katambak, said Mangudadatu’s environmental protection thrusts is focused on propagation of rubber trees by local peasants.

Farming communities in Maguindanao are being supplied with free rubber tree seedlings that can be planted on open fields and barren lands.

“It is only this administration that supports the Mindanao peace process overtly too,” Katambak said.

Estandarte said a big chunk of the provincial government’s budget is being spent for disaster mitigation programs and relief operations in oft-flooded towns located along 220,000 Liguasan Delta in the center of Maguindanao.

“This recognition from the DILG is a good source of inspiration for us to continue working to achieve peace and development in the province,” said provincial administrator Engineer Wahab Tunga.