COTABATO CITY ― Integrating palliative and hospice care in the Bangsamoro health care system and institutionalizing a scholarship program for children and dependents of small farmers and fisherfolks in the region are among the six bills filed by Member of the Parliament Amilbahar Mawallil.
The remaining four measures, the Bud Dajo Day Act of 2022; the BARMM E-Governance Act of 2022; the BARMM Digital Public Library Hubs Act of 2022; and the Bangsamoro Green Building Act of 2022, were also introduced on first reading.
First on MP Mawallil’s proposed measures is Parliament Bill No. 114, or the “Bangsamoro Palliative and Hospice Act of 2022,” which stipulates that all government and private hospitals in the region must provide palliative and hospice care services to patients with life-threatening illnesses.
Local governments on all levels are responsible, under PB No. 114, for establishing hospice and palliative care facilities in their communities.
Hospice care is the end-of-life care provided by trained medical professionals and volunteers, while palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life for patients and their families dealing with a life-threatening illness.
Another proposal, PB No. 117, or the “Small Farmer and Fisherfolk Scholarship Act of 2022,” aims to provide opportunities for children and dependents of farmers and fisherfolks in the Bangsamoro region to receive a quality education by providing full scholarships at all academic levels, from basic education to the completion of tertiary education.
All educational expenses, whether in public or private schools, will be covered, including tuition, miscellaneous and other fees, board and lodging, transportation expenses, allowances for books, clothing, and food, and other similar expenses.
“When legislated, the proposed measure will not only allow us to help the lives of the key stakeholders of our economy, albeit disadvantaged sectors of society, but also to free them from the bondage of poverty and ensure that a wide array of opportunities are opened to them and their families,” said MP Mawalill.
In PB No. 115, MPs Mawallil and Nurredha Misuari are pushing to declare March 6 of every year as “Bud Dajo Day,” in recognition of the bravery displayed by the Bangsamoro people who fought against American military attacks on Bud Dajo, Sulu, in 1906.
Once PB No. 115, or the “Bud Dajo Day Act of 2022,” is enacted, the heads of BARMM government agencies and instrumentalities, government-owned and controlled corporations, together with their employees, will organize and participate in activities designed to raise public awareness on the events in Bud Dajo.
The Bangsamoro Commission for Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH) and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education, in coordination with non-governmental organizations advocating for human rights, will lead public and private school communities at all levels in the Bangsamoro region in organizing consciousness-raising activities on Bud Dajo Day.
PB No. 116, or the “BARMM E-Governance Act of 2022,” promotes the digitalization of all frontline services in the Bangsamoro region.
“Through the full digital transformation of all regional frontline services, including the adoption of an integrated, interconnected, and interoperable information, resource sharing, and communications network in the region, we can significantly increase productivity and the inclusiveness of service production and provide a more transparent public service,” MP Mawallil explained.
PB No. 116 applies to all Bangsamoro government offices, including the Parliament, agencies, bureaus, commissions, boards, and instrumentalities, government-owned or controlled corporations, and other BARMM government instrumentalities that offer frontline services.
Under PB No. 118, or the “BARMM Digital Public Library Hubs Act of 2022,” the MBHTE, in close coordination with the Bangsamoro Library and Archives and the Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office, will handle the establishment of one digital public library hub in every existing public library and reading center within the region, which is free to the public.
The proposed measure’s passage, according to MP Mawallil in PB No. 118, will “ultimately result in a regional library and information system that guarantees efficiency, security, convenience, and accessibility.”
An effective public library and research system, MP Mawallil further added, is crucial to the development of an educational framework tailored to the needs of the Bangsamoro region.
Last on the list is PB No. 119, also known as the “Bangsamoro Green Building Act of 2022,” which calls for better building performance in the areas of site conservation and sustainable planning, water conservation and efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy, material and resource conservation, and indoor environmental quality and human health.
The proposed measure requires all buildings, including hotels, hospitals, government buildings, and other structures, to conform to the evaluation and rating scheme of the Green Building Rating System, which will be devised and implemented by the Bangsamoro Green Building Council.
The six bills were also co-authored by MPs Atty. Laisa Alamia, Atty. Suharto Ambolodto, Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr., Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, Engr. Don Mustapha Loong, and Rasul Ismael. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)