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Friday, March 29, 2024

BARMM hikes disaster readiness via training

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Cotabato City—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has scaled up its disaster preparedness by enlisting diverse sectors’ participation in its Incident Command System for rescue and safe evacuation of residents in times of calamities.

Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM Interior and Local Government Minister, said the region has initially trained 50 individuals from diverse fields of community involvement to help run their local ICS.

The trainees graduated last week, after having completed ICS Course on Basic ICS and Integrated (ICS Course 1 and 2).

Distinctly in BARMM, emergency situations are triggered by either man-made-calamity in armed conflict, or natural calamity in disaster—or both occurring simultaneously in skirmishes and floods, said Sinarimbo, who also heads the region’s Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidents (BARMM-READi).

Sinarimbo said the regional government has trained 50 more volunteers to become part of its ICS network of rescuers, as well as for enlistment of community volunteers in times of calamity and other humanitarian situations.

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He said the regional ICS has trained 50 individuals from the Mindanao Humanitarian Team, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, local government units, BARMM agencies, Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB), and civil society organizations (CSOs).

“This unique batch will create a powerful synergy in dealing with disasters or any event requiring the application of skills drawn from this training,” Sinarimbo said.

They will become part of a community network of volunteers who will be automatically called to volunteer during calamities and other humanitarian situations, he said.

BARMM-READi will train another group of ICS disaster volunteers in Lanao del Sur, Sinarimbo said. 

Meanwhile, in Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao, residents and local leaders feted a Philippine Army general with an honorary traditional title of “Datu Didagen” for helping sustain peace and keeping terrorism at bay. 

Mayor Zamzamin L. Ampatuan conferred on Army Major-General Diosdado Carreon the traditional title Datu Didagen sa Rajah Buayan, during opening ceremonies marking the town’s 15th Founding Anniversary on October 7.

Carreon also heads the Army-led Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) in which his leadership, described “efficacious” in the recognition rites, was lauded by officials and residents here.

Ampatuan said his town has adopted Carreon in grateful recognition of his role in helping keep peace in the place, already once attacked by Daesh or Islamic State-inspired local terrorists in 2014.

“Didagen,” a historical landmark of hilly, rocky ground often called Kabalukan in now Barangays Masulot, Butilen, and Campana here, means “fortified,” or “unyielding” in poetic Maguindanaon in reference to that territory.

The word “Datu” in Maguindanaon means “leader”– thus, Datu Didagen means a “fortified leader.”

Rajah Buayan Sultan Bangon Marajanun used the title “Sultan sa Didagen” during his term in the late 18th century.

Ampatuan also said “Datu Didagen” is a Moro term for “impregnable leader.”

The title was officially conferred on Carreon through a resolution unanimously passed this month by the Rajah Buayan Municipal Sangguniang Bayan, presided over by Vice Mayor Jacob Ampatuan, older brother of the mayor.

Mayor Ampatuan said officials and residents of Rajah Buayan honored Carreon “for his great contribution in making Rajah Buayan peaceful and secure, as well as his collaborative roles as partner for the development of the Buayan area.”

Carreon “now enjoys the privileges of being son of Rajah Buayan, and deserves respects, courtesies and honors as Datu” in the municipality, the mayor said.

Mayor Ampatuan said Rajah Buayan, his town, now has “zero” armed presence of Daesh-inspired elements of a breakaway group of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

In his anniversary speech on the occasion, the mayor recalled how Carreon, then a brigadier-general and Army colonel, as commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, “devoted his time to ensure every resident of Rajah Buayan was safe” from threats of lawless elements, notably Daesh-inspired militants operating in parts of Maguindanao.

“From the very start, I knew Gen. Carreon was a respected leader and one that cannot be defeated easily, impregnable, he is,” he said.

The event was witnessed by Gen. Carreon’s wife Gina, Colonel Elmer Kato, former 33rd Infantry Battalion head, Lt. Colonel Elmer Boongaling, presently the 33rd IB battalion commander, and Colonel Jose H. Narciso, 601st Infantry Brigade commander.

In his acceptance speech, Carreon said he was humbled by the recognition given him, pointing though that what he has been doing for the civilians formed part of his mandates as a Filipino soldier.

“I can hardly find words that rightly describe how I feel today being given this honor,” Carreon said. “It’s really a great honor for me to be named as Datu Didagen.”

After the ceremony, Carreon rallied the residents and spectators to continue shunning away the armed extremists.

“If you can tell them to lay down their arms, that would be a welcome move,” Carreon said. “Let’s stop all these wars, let’s stop all these atrocities, the military cannot do it alone, we need your help, the people of Rajah Buayan,” he said in Filipino.

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