Hataman calls for proactive approach on Sabah crisis

By Michael Vincent D. Cajulao

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional (ARMM) Governor Mujiv Hataman called on all member-agencies of the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) to have a proactive approach on the crisis in Sabah, Malaysia to avoid further problems in case of massive evacuation and deportation of Filipinos.

“We need to be proactive and think ahead, even anticipating the worst case scenario, so that we will have a concrete work plan that will address the needs of the displaced people from Sabah,” Gov. Hataman said during the CMC meeting on Tuesday at the Western Mindanao Command this city.

A visibly concerned Hataman said the immediate concerns in the provinces of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu are food supply and other basic commodities. Hataman asked the National Food Authority (NFA)-IX to have an inventory of the rice supply intended for the two provinces, especially in Tawi-Tawi, which is near to Sabah.

“We don’t want to have food shortage there. We know that the supplies in Tawi-Tawi mostly come from Sabah due to its proximity,” he pointed out.

Hataman also asked the NFA, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-IX and Department of Agriculture (DA)-IX to secure the baseline data on the rice consumption in Tawi-Tawi to better estimate the needed supply to be delivered to Tawi-Tawi.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-ARMM Assistant Secretary Sharifa Pearlsha A. Dans, in her briefing during the meeting, stated that around 800,000 Filipinos will be affected if the crisis in the oil-rich region of north Borneo continues.

In the event of massive evacuation, Hataman wanted to have enough food supply in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu because half of those Filipinos in Sabah come from the two provinces.

The committee was also divided into two teams, the emergency response team and the recovery and rehabilitation team, which is in charge of the psycho-social economic aspect of the displaced Filipinos.

“Our emergency response team is already there, but if we can deploy some more technical person to help in the operations there, much better. The recovery and rehabilitation team is in charge of medium to long term programs needed to help the displaced persons,” Hataman said.

Hataman has also ordered the two teams to submit to him their respective work plans either this week or early next week for submission to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

“The earlier we submit our work plan, the better. But we just have to make sure that we come up with a concrete work plan that will address the needs of the Filipinos that will be affected in case this crisis continues,” Hataman stressed. (PIA9)