Western Basilan Alliance Pivots To New Opportunities

(L to R) MILG OIC Prov'l Dir Ra-Diya Akmad, MAFAR Prov'l Dir Hannie Junuban, IAG Exec Dir Atty Benedicto Bacani, Basilan Gov Jim Hataman, Maluso mayor Hanie Bud, Lantawan Mayor Nursiya Ismael, Hadji Muhtamad Mayor Nerwelyn Mansul and Sumisip administrator Nusra Hataman (representing Mayor Jul-Adnan Hataman) sign the MoA today, January 29, 2021, at the Provincial Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan, to formalize the establishment of the Western Basilan Alliance (WBA).

Isabela City, Basilan (January 29, 2021) - The municipalities of Hadji Muhtamad, Lantawan, Maluso and Sumisip in this province enters into a memorandum of agreement (moA) to formally establish the Western Basilan Alliance (WBA). Representing the municipalities are their respective mayors  - Nerwelyn Mansul (Hadji Muhtamad), Nursiya Ismael (Lantawan), Hanie Bud (Maluso) and Jul-Adnan Hataman (Sumisip). Witnessing this momentous occasion is no less than the alliance champion Basilan governor Hadjiman "Jim" Hataman-Salliman and the provincial directors of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) Hannie Junuban and Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG) Ra-Diya Akmad. 

With the MOA signed, the alliance can now explore how to harness and protect the myriad of ecosystems straddling the four municipalities. To manage these resources, WBA will leverage primarily on the ridge-to-river-to-reef or 3Rs approach, addressing at the same time key concerns like poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, peace, and justice.

The MOA highlights the alliance’s vision for peace and prosperity, establishing WBA as a platform for consultation and development founded on good governance and a sustainable economy. The Local Government Code of 1991 states that local government units, through appropriate ordinances, may group themselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes commonly beneficial to them.

Governor Hataman urged the mayors to move forward and use the alliance to help develop Basilan. “The important thing now is sustainability, giving substance [to WBA], and empowering the people economically, politically, culturally and socially,” he said.

Carlos Cavanillas, General-Coordinator of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in the Philippines, hailed the institutionalization of WBA, noting that the “success of alliance-building requires a deep change of culture of the traditional way of government.”

“This kind of effort requires virtues. Patience to understand and to accept that your efforts need some time to materialize; seriousness to accomplish the commitment; ability to work and decide as a team; and humility to recognize that you are not the only one who is always right. We must understand though that this kind of initiative should be developed within the appropriate climate of peace and safety,” he added.

The Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) through the Modeling Inter-LGU Alliance in Basilan (MILAB) project supported by AECID implemented capacity-building activities two years prior in preparation for the institutionalization of WBA as a model for participatory development and good governance. Knowledge and skills gained during this period pertain to critical ingredients in building and sustaining interlocal cooperation and the necessary legal, financial, and institutional requirements for operationalizing the alliance.

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.