Archive for May 3rd, 2008
Evacuees returning to ‘peaceful, progressive’ Muslim Mindanao
By Jesus Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
April 29, 2008- The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) registered the highest population growth rate among the country’s 17 regions, according to the latest census, and the government attributes this to evacuees who are returning because of “better economic opportunities and [a] relatively peaceful situation.”
Results of the 2007 National Census showed that the ARMM registered the highest annual growth rate of 5.46 percent among the regions. This is more than two times the national annual growth rate of 2.04 percent.
Tomas Osias, executive director of the Commission on Population (POPCOM), said that the high annual population growth rate in ARMM pushed the national growth rate to 2.04 percent.
“If ARMM’s growth is not that high, the national annual population growth rate could have reached 1. 9 percent only,” Osias told Newsbreak.
Population in the ARMM increased by 1.3 million during the last seven years—from 2.803 million in May 2000 to 4.12 million in August 1, 2007. ARMM is composed of six provinces: Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Shariff Kabunsuan, and Basilan (excluding Isabela City) and Marawi City. It has been a hotbed of Muslim secessionist movements.
Most governors still from political clans, but with varied trainings
By Jesus Llanto
Newsbreak, Researcher
April 22, 2008-A big majority of current provincial governors are scions of political families, according to a survey conducted by Newsbreak, representing little diversion from the political profiles of past batches of governors.
Newsbreak’s survey, however, showed an encouraging trend of these political scions having diverse professional backgrounds compared to the from-college-to-politics path that many members of political dynasties had been traditionally known to take.
