COTABATO CITY, Oct 29 (PNA) — For the second time, Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) received an Outstanding Governorship Award this year during ceremonies held on Wednesday in Metro Manila, officials here said today.
Superbrands Marketing International Inc. (SMI) confers this award to governors, mayors, dignitaries, local legislators, and congressmen in recognition of their achievements.
Other recipients of the award this year are Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Marcos, Camarines Sur Governor Luis Villafuerte, Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon, and Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III.
“I am honored to be named as one of outstanding governors in the country,” said Gov. Hataman who was a recipient of the same award in 2013.
A regional governor is the region’s highest-ranking elected official, with duties more varied than any elected member of the district, party-list, or national legislature.
Superbrands cited Gov. Hataman as a Moro servant leader in contemporary Mindanao. He is the first Moro to receive such award.
Karl Maclean, chairman of SMI, said the Hataman administration’s introduction of reforms and good governance has allowed ARMM to maintain its relevance with respect to the aspirations of the Moro people.
“His (Hataman) policy of bringing the government closer to the people and vice-versa is an impressive move to make his constituents to realize that government exists,” Maclean added.
Gov. Hataman has worked hard to become a truly Moro leader. He was named by President Aquino as acting governor in 2011 where he immediately started reforms that saved millions of government funds when the governor launched a campaign against ghost projects and workers in 2012.
This earned him the moniker ‘certified ghost buster’ from President Benigno Aquino III during his third State of the Nation Address in 2013.
The governor’s administration anchored its reform initiatives on three key pillars, namely good governance, peace and security, and socio-economic development.
“This award is for the people of ARMM who continuously support the regional government,” Gov. Hataman said. (PNA)