Page 24 - OGA 2013

Outstanding Governorship Award 2013

Following the ARMM Synchronization Law, President His leadership style, characterized by his openness and
Benigno S. Aquino III handpicked him to a yet bigger accessibility to the people, is a complete pivot from the established
responsibility in December 2011 to become the OIC-Regional norm in the ARMM. The governor and the entire composition of his
Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao cabinet have voluntarily made public their contact details where
(ARMM). Assuming the highest office in the region that had the people can vent their opinions and comments on government and
reputation of being regularly irregular, particularly during the its services. A standing policy in the ARMM is giving the public
aftermath of the Maguindanao Massacre, remains Mujiv’s most access to government activities and transactions and requiring
challenging task. all officials to respond to valid queries.
Mujiv managed to lay down sweeping changes in what Mujiv’s policy of bringing the government closer to
used to be dysfunctional bureaucracy – professionalizing its the people and vice versa, is an impressive move to make
workforce, purging a large number of “ghost employees” and constituents realize that government exists for them and must
instituting transparency and accountability in the regional initiate the bold moves for change. It is the regional government’s
governance. To date, Hataman’s policy of transparency is most aim to adhere to the global principle of open governance.
remarkable in Philippine local governance. He has personally urged for the strengthening of a Personnel
Selection and Promotions Board that screens and evaluates
applicants purely on their merit and fitness thus, curbing influence
peddling, inefficiency and items-for-sale scheme.
Believing in education as the most potent tool for change,
Mujiv took priority to address the state of literacy and education
in the ARMM. While doing so, he took personal attention to
delve into the plight of schoolteachers, the state-of-affairs in the
region’s Education Department, and the persistent irregularities.
He found the niche for his massive reform agenda in the
education sector.
Policies were set to remove delays in the release of
salaries of teachers and adopted policies to ease them of some
financial burdens. The regional government secured a deal
with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to provide a buyout
scheme for teachers with huge loans from private lenders. An
agreement was also signed between the ARMM government,
the GSIS and the Department of Budget and Management for
the implementation of a straight deduction scheme to settle
GSIS payables of a large number of teachers in the region.
ARMM saved millions of government funds when
Mujiv launched a campaign against ghost projects
and workers campaign in 2012. The successful
campaign earned him the moniker “certified
ghost-buster” from President Benigno Aquino
III who made the pronouncement in his 3rd
State of the Nation Address.

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