Lantawan, Basilan – Municipal executive officials and local CSO partners from Hadji Muhtamad, Lantawan, Maluso, Sumisip and Tabuan Lasa municipalities convene today at Barangay Pamucalin, Lantawan, Basilan for an orientation and consultation under the Western Basilan Alliance (WBA). Also present are officials from the provincial offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), and civil society organizations such as the ChildFund and Nagdilaab Foundation.

In his opening statement, Mayor Rustam Ismael of Lantawan says the activity is the second in a consultation series which started last month in Maluso. Together with his fellow mayors, Hanie Bud of Maluso and Boy Hataman of Sumisip, he warmly welcomes the participants to his home municipality which is hosting the meeting. He acknowledges the government offices and civil society partners who made it to the event.

Mayor Hanie Bud of Maluso presents the concept and strategic plan of the Western Basilan Alliance (WBA). He underscores that the task at hand is difficult, but he believes it is time for the Basilan municipalities to dream big “to reach for the moon and even if we fail, we will still land among the stars”.

In this one-day consultation, participants also assess and explore complementation between WBA and their respective municipal development priorities and identify resource mobilization to expedite the realization of their complementing plans.

This second in a consultation series is supported by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and implemented by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) through the 18-month “Modeling Inter-LGU Alliance for Basilan” (MILAB) Project. (MILAB/Ramil Tarami)