Maluso LGU and partners launch 'RadyoEdukasyon' today

IN PHOTO: Maluso LGU and DepEd launches 'RadyoEdukasyon' today
over WBA 991.FM radio station. Leading the launch are (L-R) schools division superintendent
Dr Tim Undain-Sanchez, mayor Hanie Bud, assistant schools division superintendent Nuriya K. Jamaldin and Maluso vice mayor Al-Mashour Yasin (Photo credit – Hans Bud/FB)

Maluso, Basilan (November 11, 2020) – The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Maluso, through the Expanded Local School Board, together with Basilan Schools Division of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) and WBA 99.1FM Radio Station launches today 'RadyoEdukasyon' an innovative approach to blended learning in the 'new normal'. 

In his opening statement, Maluso mayor Hanie Bud informs everyone present that 'RadyoEdukasyon' was developed base on the urgent need to support learners on schooling in the new normal. He relays to the audience that this is all about self-reliance and tapping into local resources - the expanded local school board has been activated, the local radio station is ready to provide airtime, school heads and teachers are eager to go on air to follow through learners' performance especially in the remote areas, and the local DepEd leadership is also supportive and up to the task. He said, these local resources are more than enough to jumpstart this innovation today. He welcomes old and new partners who would like to join and help improve this innovative approach to schooling in the new normal. 

“This 'RadyoEdukasyon' initiative will level up teachers' competence in reaching out and follow through on student learning in this new normal, this is a challenge we will accept and we will make sure teachers who are tapped as anchors and subject specialists for this program will exert their best effort for this radio-based instruction. We will strive to to make it fun, exciting and engaging for learners as well as medium to improve teacher's self confidence and communication skills outside of the traditional classroom setting”, explains superintedent Dr Tim Undain-Sanchez. 

Maluso vice mayor Al-Mashour Yasin expresses his optimism over the local school board's decision in developing this 'RadyoEdukasyon', and gratitude to the Maluso teachers for taking on this challenge as this will certainly help ease the challenge of module learning for learners and parents. He thanks everyone for coming together as a team and like the challenge of the pandemic to go through this challenge as one team Maluso. 

Initial broadcast time will include Elementary Science (9.00 to 10.00AM, Tuesday), Elementary English (9.00 to 10.00AM, Wednesday), Elementary Filipino (2.00 to 3.00PM, Monday), Elementary Math (2.00 to 3.00PM, Wednesday) and High School (2.00 to 3.00PM, Thursday). 

Under the leadership of mayor Hanie Bud and vice mayor Al Yasin, they enrolled the expansion of the local school board of Maluso with the Synergeia Foundation, and benefitted from its capacity-building program including online planning and sharing of initiatives under the new normal. It was in this session that the 'RadyoEdukasyon' initiative came to mind. 

'RadyoEdukasyon' will be hosted by WBA 99.1FM radio station. This radio station is the first pilot project of the Western Basilan Alliance, the first interlocal cooperation in the province, constructed through the “Modelling Inter-LGU Alliance in Basilan” (MILAB) Phase 1 Project and was turned over by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) to the WBA on October 14, 2019. The Local Government of Maluso is managing the radio station in behalf of the alliance.

WBA completes VCA training today

A screenshot of the online validation today using Zoom application.

Zamboanga City (November 5, 2020) – The Western Basilan Alliance (WBA) completes today it 3-part training program on value chain analysis (VCA) online via Zoom application. The online introductory session was done in August 26, 2020. The on-site group workshop and online coaching stretched from August 27 up to the September 2020. Today's session is the culmination activity. 

Present for today's validation sessions are provincial and municipal administrators, planning and agriculture personnel. Also present in today's sessions are the provincial administrator Manny Muarip and mayor Nursiya Ismael of Lantawan, mayor Nerwelyn Mansul of Hadji Muhtamad, mayor Hans Bud of Maluso; while Sumisip mayor Jul-Adnan Hataman is ably-represented by his municipal administrator Nusra Hataman. 

MILAB Phase 2 project manager Noor Saada explains that VCA is a skill set expected to be part of the competence of the technical working group of the WBA. Content expert and training facilitator Karen Oloroso-Miels added that VCA tool is used to analyze a community's primary and support activities that add value to their products and then analyze these activities to reduce costs or increase differentiation. 

Participants from the provincial office presented their VCA on rubber, a key product coming out of the province. With falling global price and stiff competition, they see the need for continuing improvement in planting, harvesting and packing practices. They observed that over time, the hand-me-down informal way of learning the craft had diluted science- and technology-based practices. 

Lantawan planning coordinator Hadji Roben Mustapha and agriculturist Dr Julita Larracochea presented their VCA with focus on nito weaving that has already started around Barangay Lower Banas. Sumisip personnel Sarha Ambil and agriculturist Indisiyan Mustapha presented VCA on cassava, one of the island's staple food and an indigenous source of carbohydrates for the local population. Right now, Ms Ambil added, local trading and consumption center around grated and steamed cassava.

Maluso agriculturist Emma Dagatan presented their VCA on dried fish, a product that has made the town famous for. Fresh and dried fishes are primary products in high demand from the town and marketed within and outside Basilan province, and as far as Cebu and Davao. Maluso sells about 600 tonnes per quarter of these fresh and dried products. They are in need of market expansion, and improvement in sanitary drying (especially during rainy season) and packaging. 

Hadji Muhtamad planning coordinator Densaudi Kong and municipal administrator Nursaida Mohammad presented their VCA on curacha, a crab species abundant in this insular municipality geographically sandwiched between mainland Basilan and Zamboanga Peninsula. They presented a sustainable way of farming and conserving this resource centered around marine protected areas they are envisioning to undertake in the near future. 

After today's presentation, these value chain analyses will be converted into proposal concepts to be forwarded to concerned government agencies for possible funding and technical support, and project partnership. 

Western Basilan Alliance is the first interlocal cooperation in Basilan and is being capacitated by the Spanish aid agency AECID-funded MILAB 2 Project, implemented by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) in partnership with the provincial and selected municipal governments in the province.

WBA begins Training on Institutional Requirements for Alliance Building

A screenshot of the Introductory Session on 
the Training on Institutional Requirements for Alliance Building 

Zamboanga City (November 4, 2020) – Western Basilan Alliance (WBA) begins today, via online Zoom application, its training on institutional requirements for alliance building. Participants from the provincial and municipal governments include Sangguniang Panlalawigan, administrative, planning and agriculture personnel.

MILAB 2 Project manager Noor Saada explains that today's training brings together the capacitation on three pillars of alliance building (hyperlink - legal training commenced on October 21 and financial training on October 28). These pillars were developed into a 3-part training program to conform with the limitations posed by the on-going pandemic and by the demands of the 'new normal'. 

Content expert and training facilitator Kareen Oloroso-Miels starts her introductory session with three (3) major phases of alliance building and together with the participants assess where the WBA is currently situated. There are a dozen key institutional ingredients that Ms Oloroso-Miels articulated to the participants. This includes conceptualizing (availability of champions, having common base and purpose) and studying models which a group from the WBA was able to undertake under MILAB Phase 1 in a visit to Metro Naga Development Council (MNDC) and Central Negros Council for Coastal Resources Development (CENECCORD). Also explained are the 'how' of alliance forming, assessment, strategic planning, resource generation and mobilization, pilot-testing, systematization, scaling, mainstreaming and evolution.

MILAB project coordinator Sheila Marie Acquiatan insures that standardized learning materials are made available and downloadable so that participants can learn and review on their own pace, and ready for their online assessment using Google Forms for comprehension and as a guide to differentiated coaching based on the participants' comprehension. Schedules for team planning and online coaching are also put up.

At the end of the Ms Miels' coaching session, every LGU group is expected to submit their proposed work plan as to how they can build and comply with the institutional requirements, which will be followed through by the WBA office and the MILAB team.

Western Basilan Alliance is the first interlocal cooperation in Basilan and is being capacitated by the Spanish aid agency AECID-funded MILAB 2 Project, implemented by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) in partnership with the provincial and selected municipal governments.

WBA Radio inks partnership with women's organization Noorus-Salam

WBA radio station manager Zia ulhaq Basa and Noorus-Salam provincial coordinator Sarha Ahmad signs partnership agreement. Present as a witness is Maluso administrator Rahman Sabito (representing Mayor Hans Bud).

Maluso, Basilan (November 4, 2020) – The Western Basilan Alliance (WBA) radio station 99.1 FM inks a partnership today with women's organization Noorus-Salam (NS). Present in the simple signing ceremony today at the radio station are NS Provincial Coordinator Sarha I. Ahmad, Maluso coordinator Ustadja Mariam S. Abdulla, members Melda Abdulla and Nasra Ahmad. The radio station is represented by its manager Zia Ulhaq Basa and deejay Morada Albani. Witnessing the signing is Maluso municipal administrator Rahman B. Sabito. 

Organized sometime in 2009, Noorus-Salam (Arabic for “Light of Peace”) is a national network of Muslim religious women scholars and civil society leaders, as an outgrowth of the PCID's "Empowering the Muslim Women and Aleemat Project"[1]. In October 2018, Noorus-Salam issued a statement in support for the prevention of violent extremism (PVE) that had plague a number of Moro communities in the southern Philippines. It said, the way forward involves continuing support and engagement, active advocacy, creating awareness among vulnerable individuals, community vigilantce; conducting seminars, symposiums, FGDs, inter-faith forums and lectures on PVE; integrating PVE activities in local government plans and programs; integration of PVE and peace education in Madrasah and classroom setting; creative use social media and radio broadcast; provision of livelihood programs; and engaging local leaders and curving opportunities and space to highlight women's participation and creativity. 

According to Provincial Coordinator Sarha I. Ahmad, their Noorus-Salam organization is about empowerment of Muslim women in the Philippines. Base on this partenrship, WBA radio station will allocate a weekly program for the organization, during which NS will disseminate information and discuss current events and issues relevant to Muslim women and girls. 

Station manager Zia Ulhaq Basa said, the WBA radio is happy to provide platform for women to express and discuss their issues and concerns as well undertake radio-based education, advocacy and information dissemination to engage and empower women to better themselves and be positive influence at home, work, community or wherever they are involved. 

Maluso mayor Hans Bud, ably represented by municipal administrator Rahman B. Sabito, expresses his optimism about this partnership believing in the power of media to influence positive change in the community and recognizes the value of women and women participation in community building especially in the Western Basilan alliance. 

The radio station is the first pilot project of the WBA. It was constructed through the “Modelling Inter-LGU Alliance in Basilan” (MILAB) Phase 1 Project and was turned over by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) to the WBA on October 14, 2019. The Local Government of Maluso is managing the radio station in behalf of the alliance. 

Western Basilan Alliance is the first interlocal cooperation in Basilan and is being capacitated by the Spanish aid agency AECID-funded “Modelling Inter-LGU Alliance in Basilan “ (MILAB) 2 Project, implemented by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) in partnership with the provincial and selected municipal governments in the province. 

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1 Rasul, Amina. (2011). “A Rock and a Hard Place: Muslim Women and Conflict in Mindanao “, Global Asia, Volume 6, Number 3 - https://www.globalasia.org/v6no3/cover/a-rock-and-a-hard-place-muslim-women-and-conflict-in-mindanao_amina-rasul