From the MILF Website (Feb 12): Bangsamoro alliance formed to help address concerns affecting Muslims in Gensan
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Different Moro organizational and tribal leaders in General Santos City formed an alliance to solidify their ranks and work altogether to help address issues and concerns affecting the Bangsamoro constituents of town.
After series of meetings and consultations, the concerned Moro leaders formally created the Bangsamoro Organization for Cooperation (BOC) on February 9, 2014.
The Moro leaders realized the need to build stronger alliance to deal with the major issues such as poverty, marginalization, lack of representation of Moro in the local legislative bodies and discrimination against Muslims especially on employment.
“Muslim job seekers have to use Christian names when applying for jobs to get hired,” lead convener Morie Guiam said in his presentation.
Some of the Moro leaders noted the difficulty for Muslims to rent for an office spaces in Christian owned buildings.
Other concerns they identified include lack of scholarship opportunity, absence of praying area in hospitals, colleges and terminals, absence of Muslim blood bank, and lack of Muslim public cemetery on which the city government is bent on establishing one.
Ustadz Akman Abtahi, chairman of Purok Bangsamoro in Barangay Calumpang, said their group is willing to work with the city government and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos to help develop the Muslims in Gensan.
BOC will serve as the voice of the Muslims in Gensan. Its primary objective is to initiate actions geared towards the socio-cultural, educational and economic development of the Muslims in the city.
Abtahi enjoin the Moro constituents of the city to partake in their endeavor as it will benefit the majority of the Muslims. “If everyone moves, we will be able to resolve many problems we are facing,” he stressed.
Guiam said they still welcome other Moro organizations and stakeholders to join BOC. The conveners have outlined series of initiatives and capability-building trainings geared towards strengthening their alliance.
Ahmad Bello, one of the BOC conveners, said they consider various options to realize their undertakings especially collaborating with government agencies. He said BOC will exist as non-partisan to political parties.
BOC join other concerned groups pushing for a Maguindanaon representation in the Sangguniang Panlunsod and has nominated names to the city mayor that will constitute the Task Force Public Muslim Cemetery.
The city government has allotted P5M for the Muslim cemetery. The conveners and other concerned Muslim leaders have already tapped the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 12 to help locate public land that can be develop as memorial site for the Muslims.
More than 20 Moro leaders, development workers and concerned Muslims constitute the alliance coming from the Maguindanaon, Maranao, Sangir and Tausog tribes.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/811-bangsamoro-alliance-formed-to-help-address-concerns-affecting-muslims-in-gensan
Different Moro organizational and tribal leaders in General Santos City formed an alliance to solidify their ranks and work altogether to help address issues and concerns affecting the Bangsamoro constituents of town.
After series of meetings and consultations, the concerned Moro leaders formally created the Bangsamoro Organization for Cooperation (BOC) on February 9, 2014.
The Moro leaders realized the need to build stronger alliance to deal with the major issues such as poverty, marginalization, lack of representation of Moro in the local legislative bodies and discrimination against Muslims especially on employment.
“Muslim job seekers have to use Christian names when applying for jobs to get hired,” lead convener Morie Guiam said in his presentation.
Some of the Moro leaders noted the difficulty for Muslims to rent for an office spaces in Christian owned buildings.
Other concerns they identified include lack of scholarship opportunity, absence of praying area in hospitals, colleges and terminals, absence of Muslim blood bank, and lack of Muslim public cemetery on which the city government is bent on establishing one.
Ustadz Akman Abtahi, chairman of Purok Bangsamoro in Barangay Calumpang, said their group is willing to work with the city government and the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos to help develop the Muslims in Gensan.
BOC will serve as the voice of the Muslims in Gensan. Its primary objective is to initiate actions geared towards the socio-cultural, educational and economic development of the Muslims in the city.
Abtahi enjoin the Moro constituents of the city to partake in their endeavor as it will benefit the majority of the Muslims. “If everyone moves, we will be able to resolve many problems we are facing,” he stressed.
Guiam said they still welcome other Moro organizations and stakeholders to join BOC. The conveners have outlined series of initiatives and capability-building trainings geared towards strengthening their alliance.
Ahmad Bello, one of the BOC conveners, said they consider various options to realize their undertakings especially collaborating with government agencies. He said BOC will exist as non-partisan to political parties.
BOC join other concerned groups pushing for a Maguindanaon representation in the Sangguniang Panlunsod and has nominated names to the city mayor that will constitute the Task Force Public Muslim Cemetery.
The city government has allotted P5M for the Muslim cemetery. The conveners and other concerned Muslim leaders have already tapped the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 12 to help locate public land that can be develop as memorial site for the Muslims.
More than 20 Moro leaders, development workers and concerned Muslims constitute the alliance coming from the Maguindanaon, Maranao, Sangir and Tausog tribes.
http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/welcome/item/811-bangsamoro-alliance-formed-to-help-address-concerns-affecting-muslims-in-gensan