Regularizing ‘habal-habal’ transportation in Maguindanao wins in BARMM policy research project

COTABATO CITY (Aug 13,2021—After six months of conducting research, Atty. Bai Sandra U. Sadialan of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MOTC) emerged as first placer during the culmination activity of the capacity-building project called “BARMM on Policy Research” on Thursday, Aug. 12, held at Diamond Hall, Em Manor Hotel in Cotabato City.

Her research, entitled “Habal-habal as a mode of Transportation in Maguindanao: Its benefits, Issues and Regulation”, was awarded ‘Best Research’, with certificate and a cash prize worth Php 30,000.00.

Sandialan, 29, Attorney IV of MOTC, and a resident of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao, said that her inspiration in coming up with such policy research are the local drivers using the ‘habal-habal’ (single motor) who needs alternative income.

The research policy of Sandialan hopes to regularize and legalize the operation of habal-habal as mode of transportation in Maguindanao.

“We look forward how to legalize the habal-habal operation in Maguindanao, somehow the local drivers would have an alternative source of income,” she said.

Other winners include Joven U. Molanggana of the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affair (MIPA) (2nd placer) and Gebracel N. Makaton of Development Academy of Bangsamoro (DAB) (3rd placer). They received certificates and Php20,000.00 and Php10,000.00, respectively.

In a video message, Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim stressed the importance of policy research in supporting the bureaucracy and policy-making in the Bangsamoro region.

“Policy research is very important in our line of work […] expect us to provide policies that are evident based and responsive to the reality of the Bangsamoro,” Ebrahim said.

This policy research project aimed to promote the role of research in policy-making and to further capacitate the participating BARMM employees. It was implemented by the Leadership Advocacy (LEAD) Bangsamoro Inc., and the Bangsamoro Government [thru Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) and DAB], and was supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines.

Prof. Sarah A. Ragam, executive director of LEAD said that this activity is a capacity building project that aims to train BARMM employees in policy

“Especially during transition, that you can introduce some changes in the process and that is why having an evidence-based policy making, we want to avoid a policy-making just like what we are doing in the table or self-interest.

Meanwhile, Charge d’Affairs a.i. Thimon Furst of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines congratulated the organizers and the participants. He said that as part of foreign policy to peace, human rights and development Switzerland is an active support of the Bangsamoro government mainly in Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR).

“I hope the program which was designed to contribute, capacitate the BARMM government in policy research…as engaged in concrete policy-making policies,” Furst added. (By JONG D. CADION with reports and photos from Bangsamoro Information Office)

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