June 2006
Canada Supports ARMM Halal Certification Body
Canada is supporting the establishment of a
unified Halal Certification Board in the
Autonomous Regional in Muslim Mindanao,
a key move that is expected to fast track
the development of the halal industry in
ARMM.
Under a new Partnership Agreement with
the Department of Trade and Industry-
ARMM, the Canadian-funded Local
Governance Support Program in ARMM
(LGSPA) has committed to extend technical
assistance to DTI-ARMM in support of the
HCBs formation.
This is long overdue, said DTI-ARMM
Secretary Ishak Mastura referring to the
HCB, a crucial body tasked to verify that
what is declared halal is in accordance with
the Holy Korans injunctions. Halal is the
Islamic prescription of consuming only
permissible food and non-food products.
The HCB is envisioned to be private-sector
led, particularly by the Darul Ifta and the
During the signing of the partnership agreement
between LGSPA and DTI-ARMM in support of a halal
certification body in ARMM. From left to right: Marion
Maceda Villanueva, LGSPA Field Program Manager
(left); DTI-ARMM Secretary Ishak V. Mastura
(middle); and Jose Deles Jr., LGSPA Regional
Development Manager (right).
Unit 72, LANDCO Corporate Center
J.P. Laurel Ave., Bajada, 8000, Davao City, Philippines
Tel: (6382) 227-7980 to 81 Fax: (6382) 227-7982
Email: lgspa@lgspa.org.ph Website: www.lgspa.org.ph
ARMM Business Council. The Darul Ifta is a
council of senior religious leaders which
serves as the final arbiter of matters
relating to Islam. Ustadz Ebrahim Dimarob of the
Maguindanao Darul Ifta will take the lead in
As a Muslim region, access to halal food
the provincial consultations while Jamil
and non-food products is a fundamental
Hamza Olermo will serve as principal
need in ARMM, Mastura said. ARMM, he
resource person for the drafting of the
added, has the comparative advantage in
guidelines and the manual.
tapping the halal market with about five to
six million Muslims in the Philippines, a Last May 18, ten muftis representing the
majority of whom reside in the region. five ARMM Provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-
Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur met
With the Annual International Halal Food
in Cotabato City to discuss the Koranic
Trade estimated to run up to at least US$80
imperatives of halal food and non-food
billion, halal is a multi-billion food industry
products and the organizational framework
auguring tremendous potential to enhance
for a credible halal certification. The muftis
production and trade necessary for ARMMs
concluded the meeting with a signing of
development.
commitment to support the formation of a
ARMMs potential as a key player also finds unified certification body in ARMM.
support in the 2004-2010 Medium Term
Consultations with the Ulama (religious
Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) which
leaders) in the five ARMM Provinces of
projected ARMM as the production base
Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and
and processing center for the development
Lanao del Sur will be conducted throughout
of the halal industry.
July to review the draft guidelines and
LGSPAs technical assistance to DTI-ARMM manuals and to organize the provincial
includes assistance not only in the process committees of the certifying board. The HCB
of organizing the privately-led HCB but also is expected to be fully activated by August
help develop the Halal Certification 2006.
Guidelines and the Boards Manual of
Operations.
According to Jose Deles, LGSPAS Regional
Development Manager, the crafting of the
Halal guidelines and manual will include
intensive consultations with the Darul Iftas
and Provincial Muftis in the ARMM to ensure
consensus that these are all in accord with
Islamic injunctions.
Provincial Muftis from Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi,
The consultations will also be part of the Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur signed a
process to mobilize participation and Memorandum of Understanding with the ARMM
support for the formation and operation of Business Council supporting DTI-ARMMs initiative for
the HCB. a unified halal certification body in ARMM
LGSPA Canadian Ambassador
inks new pact with ASFP visited Tawi-Tawi
AND DSWD-ARMM
LGSPA inks new pact with
ASFP AND DSWD-ARMM
LGSPA has forged a new partnership
agreement with the ARMM Social Fund
Project and the Department of Social
Welfare and Development-ARMM.
The agreement firms up the existing linkage
among LGSPA, ASFP and DSWD-ARMM to
facilitate the preparation of 69 Barangay
Development Plans (BDP) in 32
municipalities in four provinces of the ARMM
this year.
"We look forward to this renewed
partnership as we need to maximize
resources and to successfully collaborate in
bringing about poverty reduction and
development," said Merlinda Hussein,
LGSPA's Local Government Capacity
Development Manager.
Last year, a similar agreement was entered
into by the three parties defining their roles
in supporting the BDP formulation of 122
barangays within 62 ARMM LGUs in their
planning and poverty reduction projects.
The barangays were those prioritized by
ASFP for its community development
assistance (CDA).
These barangays also belonged to the
municipalities with Executive and Legislative
Agendas (ELAs) that had identified
barangay development planning as a
priority. A total of 92 barangays were
successfully supported by LGSPA with
funding assistance.
The CDA component of the ASFP which is
implemented by the DSWD-ARMM requires
its priority barangays to formulate BDPs
which will become the source of the
Community Investment Plan (CIP). The CIP
contains priority projects that will enable
barangays to access funds from the ASFP.
They will be working closely with members
of the Municipal Teams made up of
municipal planning officers, local
government operations officers, social
welfare officer, SB representatives,
barangay secretaries and treasurers and
civil society organization representatives.
About 24 on-site coaches who have just
undergone a three-day training in Cotabato
City last week will be fielded by LGSPA into
the five ARMM provinces to implement the
new agreement with ASFP and DSWD-
ARMM.
Nature Care. Young Muslim girls beam on their
way to plant seedlings at Gen. Salipada K.
Pendatun, Maguindanao. Held in celebration of
Environment Month, the tree planting activity was
sponsored by GSKP-LGU, DENR-ARMM, Local
Governance Support Program in ARMM (LGSPA),
Association of Lady Environmentalists and the
Ligwasan Marsh Management Alliance (LIMMA).
LIMMA was organized by some 17 towns in
Maguindanao with the assistance of LGSPA. GSKP
is an active member of LIMMA.
Upi grassroots journalists
learn to write news
About 20 residents of Upi, Maguindanao
learned the basics of news writing and
photography during a two-day Grassroots
Journalism Seminar Workshop held on
March 2-3 this year. The workshop was
facilitated by a team of journalists from
Mindanews, a news agency exclusively
reporting on Mindanao issues.
During the workshop, there was good
sharing on indigenous Teduray, Iranun, and
Maguindanaon means of communication and
information dissemination that have
remained vibrant to this day.
The use of indigenous ways of
communication is a key aspect of the
participatory communication principles
being advocated by LGSPA which sponsored
the activity.
In promoting participatory governance,
LGSPA encourages the use of grassroots-
based communications consisting of
dialogues, consensus-building and
collaboration and other community-based
communication mechanisms.
The participants also later formed
themselves into a group called "Upi
Community Peace Journalists" with
Kagawad Ruben Mobantan from barangay
Blensong named as chair.
Canadian Ambassador in
Tawi-Tawi
Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland
recently visited Tawi-Tawi and there
affirmed Canadas continuing commitment
to and solidarity with the people of ARMM.
He noted that about 60 percent of Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA)
assistance in the Philippines goes to ARMM.
LGSPA, which is a five-year PhP 821.5
million project funded by CIDA, is one of the
most extensive capacity-building
development programs in the southern
Philippines.
He also lauded the synergy of CIDA-
funded programs in ARMM led by LGSPA
and the Philippine Development Assistance
Program which he observed are all working
well together in a collaborative spirit. One of
PDAPs projects is the Seaweed Industry
Master Plan Development for Sitangkai
which evolved from the formulation of the
Executive and Legislative Agenda facilitated
by LGSPA.
While attending Tawi-Tawis first Education
Summit, also supported by LGSPA,
Ambassador Sutherland was impressed by
how the different stakeholders (LGUs, the
Department of Education-ARMM, CSOs and
parent-teacher associations) actively
participated and intently discussed ways to
address education-related issues. These are
healthy signs of good governance, he said,
and credited it to the willingness and
openness of LGUs to allow participation in
all affairs of governance.

The agreement also commits ASFP, DSWD- Ambassador

Sutherland
ARMM and LGSPA to incorporate looks on as
consultative barangay development Tandubas
planning into the LGU's approach to Mayor Hadji
development planning. The BDPs are Pendatun H.
Salih tries out
formulated following a participatory method
the new
of barangay planning where communities computer set
learn to identify their priority problems and provided by
needs as well as map out their own LGSPA. At his
solutions. LGSPA has also been fielding its left is Marion
Maceda
on-site coaches to demonstrate to the Villanueva,
barangays the actual barangay planning LGSPAs Field
Upi grassroots journalists learn the 5Ws and 1H of
processes. newswriting during the journalism seminar workshop Program
held last March 2-3 at Upi, Maguindanao. Manager.