CAMP BILAL, SITIO KORA-KORA, TAMPARAN, MUNAI, LANAO DEL NORTE, NOVEMBER 11— Member of Parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)’s North Western Mindanao Front, Abdullah “Bravo” G. Macapaar opens up to DILG Lanao del Norte Provincial Director Bruce Augusto Colao his call for all the MILF field commanders and members to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus in support of the National Vaccination Program of the Government.
According to him, this is to ensure the protection of MILF communities from the adverse effects in case of getting infected by COVID-19.
Such were expressed when PD Colao asked MP Macapaar to publicly enjoin his MILF field commanders and members after learning that he was already inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine Sinovac last November 2, 2021.
He explained that MP Macapaar’s voice as a leader will have profound impact not only to the MILF communities but including the communities in interior municipalities like Munai that has been recorded to have a low turn-out of vaccinated individuals due to vaccine hesitancy.
“I am in full support of the National Vaccination Program and I am reiterating the call for people to be vaccinated not only for the MILF but for the whole country,” MP Macapaar said.
He further added, “Kailangan tulungan natin ang Gobyerno dito. Tulungan natin si Presidente Rodrigo Roa Duterte!” (We need to help the Government here. We need to help President Rodrigo Roa Duterte).
MP Macapaar also disclosed that in his second dose of vaccination, he will be instructing the unvaccinated MILF field commanders and members to join him in Camp Bilal to show strong support to the Government’s Vaccination Program.
The declaration and commitment of MP Macapaar were well-appreciated by his guests, including Municipality of Munai Mayor Racma D. Andamama; Vice-Mayor Abdulazis A. Batingolo and some Sangguniang Bayan Members; Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade of the Philippine Army, Col Rey B. Alimania, MNSA; Deputy Commander of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade, LtCol. Charlemagne Batayola; Commander of the 4th Mechanized Batallion, LtCol Rommel Pereña; and Musa Sangguila of Pakigdait, Inc.
The main purpose of the group in meeting MP Macapaar was to update him of the developments of the efforts on Camp Bilal Transformation pursuant to the Normalization Track on Camp Transformation.
This is as embodied in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine Government and the MILF and the Resolution No. 4, series 2021 of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) that seeks to harmonize MILF Community Development Plans with that of MILF influenced Local Governments in Lanao del Norte.
PD Colao, who had been making the rounds the past few days in interior areas of the province to drum up support of local officials to the National Vaccination Program and thereby help ramp up the vaccination performance of Lanao del Norte, expressed that he is looking forward for the province to catch up with the rest of Northern Mindanao.
This is after Lanao del Norte was the only one declared by the National IATF under Alert Level No. 3 from November 1-14, 2021, as compared to Alert Level No. 2 status for the rest of Region 10 in the new COVID-19 Alert Level System. As such, it has been noted that this is partly because of the province’s low vaccination performance.
He said that MP Macapaar’s expression of support and modelling the way by getting himself vaccinated coupled with the incentives the Provincial Government and the Municipal Governments will help push forward the vaccination numbers Lanao del Norte. (R10/PO/Lanao del Norte/ Justin Mae M. Acierto)(Revised Copy/ORD/LGOO Rezza Mae B. Tolinero)
