COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Parliament has introduced five significant bills, showcasing the regional government’s commitment to the welfare of senior citizens, the advancement of information and communications, and the protection of Lake Lanao.
Government agencies and local governments in the
Bangsamoro area are being urged to set up dedicated support desks for senior
citizens and persons with disabilities as part of Parliament Bill No. 151.
It will serve as a desk where senior citizens and
people with disabilities (PWDs) where they can make inquiries, ask for any form
of assistance, or file any complaints. It will attend to, help with, and
address their concerns or problems.
“As a Bangsamoro, we give our utmost respect to our
families’ elderly members and those with disabilities. We give due recognition
to their needs by taking all necessary measures that provide them ease and
convenience,” said MP Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, the principal author of the
proposed bill.
Ampatuan added that the government will prioritize
the elderly and PWDs in the delivery of government services. To better plan,
promote, and aid in the development of the region’s Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) sector, Parliament Bill No. 152 calls for the
establishment of the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology.
Once approved, the Ministry will consist of the
Minister’s office, the offices of the Deputy Ministers and their immediate
staff, as well as provincial offices.
Free school lunches for all children are one of the
nutrition-focused initiatives pushed for by PB No. 153. Every public-school
kindergarten and elementary student in Bangsamoro will be eligible for the free
lunch program.
According to the authors of PB No. 153, at least 95
Filipino children die every day due to malnutrition, as reported by the United
Nations Children’s Fund. Despite continued economic progress, malnutrition
persists in the Philippines, the report added.
If PB No. 153 is approved, students will be
provided with free lunch five days a week from the first day of school until
the last day of classes.The bill prioritizes those schools with reported severe
malnutrition, those located in armed conflict, and those in highly congested
areas.
The Bangsamoro Regional Rehabilitation Center for
Youth will provide intensive treatment for the rehabilitation of “children in
conflict with the law” who have been convicted by final judgment, according to
BTA Bill No. 154, or the Bangsamoro Regional Rehabilitation Center Act of 2023.
The facility will serve as a nurturing out-of-home
placement for children in need of institutional rehabilitation and
transformation. The youth rehabilitation center will provide 24-hour group
care, treatment, and rehabilitation services under the guidance of trained
staff, where residents are cared for in a structured therapeutic environment
with the end goal of reintegrating them into their families and communities as
socially functioning individuals.
A Council for the Welfare of Children will also be
established under the Office of the Chief Minister to coordinate the
implementation and enforcement of all laws relative to the promotion of child
and youth welfare within the Bangsamoro Region.
The last proposed measure, Parliament Bill No. 155,
or the Lake Lanao Rehabilitation and Development Authority Act of 2023, aims to
create the Lanao Rehabilitation and Development Authority, which will be
responsible for the overall policymaking, planning, coordination, and
management of the implementation of the Lake Lanao Rehabilitation and
Development.
Among its powers and functions are: exercising
regulatory and supervisory authority in the implementation of rehabilitation
and development programs and projects within the Lake Lanao Area; entering into
contracts, memoranda, agreements, and other cooperative arrangements with
public and private entities; accepting donations, contributions, grants,
bequests, or gifts in cash or in kind from various sources, domestic or
foreign, in consonance with existing laws and regulations; facilitating the
preparation of a 30-year Lake Lana Rehabilitation and Development Plan;
Development master plan with feasibility studies of
the top 10 potential big-ticket projects; formulate a multi-year investment and
budget proposal based on the 30-year master plan; among others.
As these bills – all introduced in the first
reading - progress through the legislative process, the Parliament encourages
stakeholders from various sectors to actively engage and provide their insights
and feedback. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations
Division)
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