Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Halad ni PGMA for MUSLIM COMMUNITY

Cebu, City (07 August)— More than a thousand Muslims from the different communities in Cebu City gathered at the grounds of the Malacañang sa Sugbo recently to avail of the various government agencies’ services and programs.

Sakiran Hajan, OMA Regional Director, during his speech said that this is a historic moment considering that it is the first time that such an activity is held in extending government services to the Muslim Community here in Cebu.

He was very much grateful to Hon. Felix C. Guanzon, Presidential Assistant for Central Visayas (OPCV) who initiated the activity in cooperation with the Association of Regional Executives of National Agencies (ARENA-7), Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO-7) and the Association of Higher Education Institutions in Region VII (AHEIR-7).

The City Government spearheaded by Hon. Tomas R. Osmeña also gave its assistance thru medical-dental services conducted by the City Health medical-dental team together with the Central Command, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police.

Some nursing students from the Southwestern University and Cebu Normal University have also shown their support to this event. Medicines were well-provided by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

Their was a signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Central Visayas (OPCV) and some lead agencies concerning the needs of the Muslim people like health, livelihood, employment, housing and leadership trainings.

TESDA gave almost twenty awardees for scholarship trainings such as slaughtering, electronics and welding while the Sacred Heart School of the Society of Jesus will grant 10 Muslim students free tuition scholarship program (five for grade school and five for high school) subject to the school’s policy on such grants governing deportment and academic performance.

The City Registrar was also able to process nearly a thousand birth certificates of Muslim that have already been residing here in Cebu City.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on the other hand had processed more than a hundred of student licenses and renewal of professional licenses thru their mobile, E-LTO program.

PA Felix C. Guanzon, in his message said that this is historic because it is probably the first time that Muslims who used to reside in Mindanao but are now residents of Cebu City and other areas in the region, are being cared for in a special way, not just for today but for the next three years of the Arroyo Administration.

“We are tying to prove that what basic services they failed to get in Mindanao which is a troubled land, they are getting it here in Central Visayas, the region of peace and economic progress,” Guanzon added.

This is the 20th Halad sa Katawhan of the PGMA administration and the next activity will be on August 29, 2007 at the Brgy. Kampoot, Tuburan, Cebu which will be spearheaded by the Philippine National Police. (PIA-7 Cebu/hfg)

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