COTABATO CITY – Two proposed measures have been refiled by Member of the Parliament Engr. Don Mustapha Loong that seeks to alter the region’s governance and will help in promoting transparency, efficiency, and inclusivity.
The first measure, BTA Bill No. 219, or the Regional Infrastructure
Geo-Tagging Act of 2023, aims to establish a regionwide geo-tagging system for
infrastructure projects, while BTA Bill No. 220, or the Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusivity in Public Service Act of 2023, mandates the equal distribution of
appointments among diverse groups to public service.
Highlighting the significance of BTA Bill No. 219, MP Loong emphasized
that this measure would be the Bangsamoro government’s legacy, as it aims to
institutionalize moral governance by implementing a geo-tagging system not only
in the Ministry of Public Works but also in various agencies involved in
infrastructure projects across the region.
The geo-tagging system will create a development reference that includes
all sectors, leading to improved planning and programming for long-term
anti-poverty and enhanced access to social service programs. It will also
enable the identification of geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas by
tracking the cumulative location of development projects, facilitating better
monitoring of progress.
One of the key advantages of this system, as explained by Engr. Loong is
its ability to provide real-time progress updates to both government officials
and the public. He said that is a cost-effective and secure method as it
enables easier progress monitoring on the ground and in communities without
incurring significant security risks or logistics costs.
Under BTA Bill No. 219, all infrastructure projects in the region will
undergo geo-tagging at various stages of project implementation using
GPS-enabled phones or other GPS and image-capturing devices.
The collected data will be uploaded to an online portal known as the
Regional Geo-tagging Databank, which will be created, updated, synchronized,
and monitored by the Office of the Chief Minister, the Ministry of Public
Works, and the Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office in
coordination with other relevant agencies.
MP Loong also proposed BTA Bill No. 220 to ensure that appointments to
positions in the regional office are distributed equitably among various provinces
and cities within the region. The bill specifically targets representation
for the Meranaw, Maguindanao, Tausug, Iranun, Yakan, Sama, non-Moro tribes,
indigenous peoples, and Christian settler communities.
The bill states that the appointing authorities in regional offices and
local government units must also ensure equitable representation of minority
groups or tribes within their jurisdictions.
The proposed measure also encourages the recruitment of applicants from
diverse tribal groups, indigenous peoples, and settler communities through
affirmative action and mechanisms that provide equal access to employment
opportunities. It includes conducting job fairs, information dissemination
campaigns, and interviews in all provinces within the region.
MP Loong stressed that these proposed measures are timely to address
absenteeism, low performance, and resentment from the locals.
The two bills are co-authored by MPs Atty. Laisa Alamia, Engr. Baintan
Ampatuan, Atty. Rasol Mitmug, Amilbahar Mawallil, Atty. Suharto Ambolodto,
Rasol Ismael, Benjamin Loong, Jaafar Apollo Mikhail Matalam, Abdulkarim
Misuari, Atty. Jose Lorena, Abdulaziz Amenoden, Diamila Ramos, Adzfar Usman,
Mohammad Kelie Antao, Eddie Alih, Tawakal Midtimbang, Mudjib Abu, Suwaib
Oranon, Bassir Utto, Bai Maleiha Candao, Michael Midtimbang, Basit Abbas,
Muslimin Jakilan, Susana Anayatin, and Muslimin Jakilan. (LTAIS-Public
Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)