A workshop was held last June 8-9, 2009 in Lantaka Hotel, Zamboanga City purposely to assist SACC to review its systems and processes as earlier enthused by the Local Government Support Program for ARMM, specifically offered by Mr. Jojo Deles. When Governor Abdusakur M. Tan browsed onto the proposal, he was impressed with the idea and gave his written approval.

SACC Executive Director Hj. Fazlur-Rahman A. Abdulla led the participants coming from the provincial government, along with Mr. Julkipli Ahijon, Jr., SACC Assistant Director; Engr. Bertrand Chio, PPDC; Engr. Benhal Akalal, APPDC, and Mr. Sonny Abing III, OIC-PIO. Hja. Sitti Kausar Sahijuan, Assistant Provincial Director of DILG-Sulu was also in attendance to provide support. From the side of LGSPA also had powerhouse participants ably led by Mr. Jojo Deles, Ms. Mags Maglana, Ms. Fatima Darwizza A. Yusah and Dr. Jodl Isahac, with Raymond R. Tejano, IT Officer from MEDCO. DILG National Office also sent representative.

The two-day activity produced an action plan ending on availing an updated programming for SACC to improve access to networking concerning peace and development efforts initiated by various stakeholders in the region and potentially throughout the country.

One of the official mandate of SACC as stipulated in the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan is to monitor development initiatives in the locality.

ED Abdulla relayed to the LGSPA officials Governor Tan's appreciation of the support despite preparation for the final phase of their mission.

NTC-ARMM GRANTS PERMIT TO SACC

SACC secured its temporary permit from NTC-ARMM to legally utilize their Radio Base. It was issued by Provincial Director Harbi M. Kasteri, with NTC-ARMM-Sul-001-05-09 (B), valid from May 25, 2009 to May 24, 2010.

Said equipment was procured and provided by Governor Tan after he instructed SACC to improve coordination facilities of the office.

SACC would then start exploring arrangement with radio-based organizations in improving further communication networking particularly during emergencies and calamities. RDCC-9 is even furnished with the SACC frequency for that purpose in coordination with D'Alert Lupah Sug.

SDCC URGES PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR SULU

Sulu Disaster Coordinating Council held a brainstorming session with its core (ever-present) members to review disaster-preparedness plan for the province. Presided over by ED Abdulla, in attendance were DSWD officers, PNRC, OMA, DepEd I, JERN, SACC Officers, IPHO, POPCOM and PPDC. It is found out that it is already appropriate time to produce a compendium of that sort, because only leading government agencies and some organizations have such kind of plans and none yet was availed for the Sulu as a whole, or if there was any, not properly endorsed to, or cannot be located by, the incumbent officials. It was decided that the group would move to formulate one starting July 2009 with the help of Office of Civil Defense based in Region IX, specifically its newly formed BASULTA Field Office.

ACT for Peace Program also expressed interest in assisting SACC on the said endeavor and had started to explore possibilities for its materialization. Mr. Suharto Abas, Act for Peace Area Manager even rendered a visit to SACC to be briefed about its mandate and said proposal.

On the other hand, Mr. Edgardo J. Ollet, MSc, Head, OCD-9 Field Office BASULTA, with his staff, Mr. Casmar Pajiji, also came to visit SACC last June 25, purposely to briefed SACC ED and Officers on the proposal to formulate a province-wide Disaster Management Plan, aside from their meeting with DepEd representative Hj. Eufremio Canaria, about the upcoming Earthquake Drill in one of the schools in town within July.

Governor Tan, being SDCC Chair by law, expressed his vision in many public engagements for readiness in his governance to manage, not only conflict-related crisis, but also natural calamities and other emergencies in the province, and in partnership with all sectors of the community.

ED Abdulla is also the Provincial Civil Defense Deputized Coordinator tasked by the governor to assist him along with the SDCC members and partners.

July 2009 will be the start-up period for the write-up sessions for the Disaster Management Plan for Sulu.

HUMANITARIAN RELIEF ACTIVITY CONTINUES

SACC/SDCC relief team mainly composed of SACC officers, and representatives of DSWD, IPHO, d'Alert Lupah Sug and Suara Mahardika continuously serve Internally Displaced Persons in Batu-Batu and Licup, Indanan. These areas have still considerable numbers of the IDPs brought about by the interventions conducted by the authorities to rescue kidnapped victim Eugenio Vagni.

Provincial Engineer's Office provided one (1) truck, Sulu Provincial Police led by its Provincial Director PSSupt Muhibuddin Ismael provided security advisory.