| Four Malita tribal groups organized |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre and Marivic F. Hubac | |
| Sunday, 03 August 2008 | |
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Four major tribal communities in this town organized themselves to form a fortress against possible intrusion of lawless elements, preserve peace and hasten all development agenda of the local government unit.
Mayor Benjamin Bautista who was recently given the title of “Tungkod na Datu Alimbulogan” (Supreme Leader) scoured remote villages of Malita to meet the Tagacaolo, B’laan, Manobo, and Muslim leaders urging them to work hand in hand with his administration and support all efforts to push the town towards prosperity in the soonest possible time.
The group is called the United Tribes of Malita (UTOM) was conceptualized after Bautista was through with his first round of village visitation and consultation with leaders of the community, the other year.
“I found out that there is an urgent quest to organize all the tribal community in Malita, otherwise our perseverance to deliver the basic needs in their respective communities would fail,” Bautista said.
Bautista recalled the recent military encounter with NPA rebels in the village of Manuel Peralta that sow fear among its residents.
“We have to unite for a common goal of protecting our communities from the hands of lawless elements. If we bind ourselves together these people will no longer disturb us since they have nowhere to hide from the clutches of the law,” Bautista said in his message to the tribal communities.
In his second round of implementing the program dubbed as “Barangay Integrated Consultative Program” (BICP), the tribal communities elected their leaders and officers under the UTOM.
The mayor brought with him a skeletal force of local government functionaries to provide free medical check-up, dental services, vaccination of livestock and other domesticated animals to ease the burden of his constituents in the remote villages to avail of some basic services.
He also administered a mass wedding ceremony for both Christian and tribal couples during his visit to the barangays of Little Baguio, Manuel Peralta, Pinalpalan, Kilalag and Demoloc.
Corn seeds and other staple food planting materials were also distributed to farmers in the upland barangays for its residents to become self-sufficient in terms of foods in the midst of this economic crisis.
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