THE Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG)-Tawi-Tawi conducted a two-day mandatory onboarding for the Bangsamoro Newly Elected Officials (BNEO) Program.
Gulamhasan Sappayani, MILG-Tawi-Tawi director, said Monday, October 13, that the BNEO Program is a localized version of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) initiative, designed to capacitate local governments in the Bangsamoro toward becoming inclusive, participatory, responsive, and accountable institutions.
Sappayani said the seminar’s participants included Sanggunian Members and Vice Mayors from Tawi-Tawi, who gathered last week in Zamboanga City to enhance their knowledge as local legislators and strengthen their leadership capacity.
He said the two-day onboarding focused on promoting peace through conflict-sensitive lawmaking and understanding parliamentary rules.
Sappayani emphasized the importance of the program and expressed hope that the newly elected officials would serve beyond political lines.
“This is not just a program, but a commitment — a commitment to lead with integrity, to legislate with vision, and to govern with compassion,” Sappayani said.
Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister and concurrent MILG Minister Abdulraof Macacua encouraged the officials to embody the principles of moral governance.
“Lead by example — with humility, integrity, and dedication — and show our people that moral governance works, and that Bangsamoro governance is capable, compassionate, and clean,” Macacua said.
Sappayani added that the activity further deepened the participants’ understanding of Bangsamoro autonomy and governance, guiding them to lead and empower their respective municipalities through principled legislation. (SunStar Zamboanga)