DAVAO CITY — The top official of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Philippines has expressed commitment to continue partnership with the local government units (LGUs) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and other partners in the promotion and enhancement of local governance.
 
USAID-Philippines Mission Director Gloria Steele said during the ARMM Convention on Local Governance at the Waterfront Insular Hotel here Wednesday that the donor agency will remain to be ARMM’s partner.
 
“We will continue to engage with ARMM,” she said.
 
One of the widely visible peace and development projects of USAID in the island is the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program whose initiatives and efforts (e.g. livelihood and education projects) are concentrated in ARMM and other conflict-affected areas in Mindanao (CAAM).
 
Meanwhile, Steele said the US government is behind the Aquino administration in fighting corruption as it implements transparency and accountability in governance.
 
“The US government is behind him (President Benigno Aquino III) in this endeavour,” she said.
 
On the other hand, ARMM Acting Governor Mujiv Hataman said the transformation of governance in the region has resulted in P237 million worth of savings from the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) particularly from the appropriation for its maintenance, operation and other expenses (MOOE) budget and from the elimination of “ghost teachers”.
 
“Ngayong naipatupad na ang byurukrasya ng ARMM, panahon nang mas palawakin ang tuwid na pamamahala (ARMM has implemented the bureaucracy, it’s time to widen the right leadership),” he said. (PNA)
LAP/JGMM/ldp/utb