ZAMBOANGA CITY: Governor Mujiv Hataman has vowed to continue government reforms in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and at the same time appealed for public support during his first state of the region address (SORA).

Hataman reiterated his calls for clean governance in the ARMM and pledged to bring more peace and development projects in the five provinces under the Muslim region which is composed of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, including the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

In his SORA, Hataman thanked all those who helped and supported him in introducing various reforms for better governance in the ARMM. He praised the provincial governors of the Muslim regions for their cooperation and support, including members of the Regional Legislative Assembly and town and city mayors.

Hataman also invited San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada to the SORA.

Ejercito Estrada, who is running for senator in 2012 mid-term polls, even snapped a photo of Hataman while he was delivering his SORA and posted it to his Facebook page and said: “Gov. Mujiv Hataman giving his State of the Region Address at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center, ARMM Government Center, Cotabato City. Beautiful session hall!”

Muslims also took turns in taking photos of them with Estrada. In his speech, Hataman said enumerated the problems besetting the ARMM and the solutions the government is doing in addressing them.

He made particular mention of the lack of school buildings and teachers in the ARMM, including the huge debts it accumulated over the decades under different governors.

He said the Australian government is actively supporting efforts to address some of the problems in ARMM through the so-called Basic Education Assistance for Muslim Mindanao in collaboration with the Department of Education in the region.

Hataman also announced that they are now in the process of paying some P1.9 billion in overdue debts, mostly from unremitted payments of employees accumulated in the pasts, to Government Service Insurance System.

He also praised Education Sec. Jamar Kulayan for his efforts and reforms in fighting corruption in the Department of Education that resulted to the eradication of “ghost teachers and students” and huge savings for the government

For his closing remark, Hataman appealed for more support from Muslims and Christians alike, to help the government in reforming the ARMM and transform the region into an economic hub in the southern Philippines.