Photo Gallery

October 20, 2004

USAID Administrator Natsios visits Mindanao

USAID Administrator Natsios gets a close view of the native musical instrument kulintang played by a Basilan boy to welcome the Administrator. Mr. Natsios visited Mindanao on October 13-14, 2004 to gain a deeper understanding of the U.S. Government’s development assistance to the region, where almost 60 percent of USAID-Philippines resources are focused. The USAID Administrator visited USAID projects in Basilan, Zamboanga and Cotabato, and met with local government, nongovernmental and Christian and Muslim leaders in those provinces.

Related link:

Press release on USAID Administrator Natsios visit to the Philippines

A Filipino Muslim girl covers her face with an American flag while waiting for U.S. officials to arrive in the remote coastal town of Maluso, Basilan province in the southern Philippines. U.S. officials visited the former Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf stronghold of Basilan province to oversee developmental projects funded by the U.S. government. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

 

Administrator Natsios and Ambassador Francis Ricciardone received a warm welcome from the people of Basilan and Zamboanga. In Basilan, Mr. Natsios visited the USAID-funded improvement of the Maluso Port and a computer education program for high school students in Isabela. In Zamboanga, he visited a solar electrification project in Barangay Pangapuyan.

 

USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios joins students of Basilan National High School in surfing the Internet using computers and Internet connection that USAID donated to the school. Photo on right: Eugene Martin (standing, center), Executive Director of the U.S. Institute for Peace, was among the guests during the USAID turnover of the second batch of computers to the school.

 

Mr. Natsios (right) emphasizes USAID commitment to help improve computer education in Mindanao especially in conflict-affected areas. With him on the stage are (r-l): Congressman Gerry Salappudin; Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Governor Parouk Hussin; U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone; Mindanao Economic Council Chair Secretary Jesus Dureza; USAID-Philippines Mission Director Michael Yates; and Basilan National High School Principal Isa Ibrahim.

In the audience are (l-r, above): U.S. Institute for Peace Executive Director Eugene Martin; John Tsagronis, Senior USAID Policy Advisor; USAID-Philippines Economic Growth Advisor Robert Barnes; Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Chief of Party Charles Feibel; and USAID-Philippines Deputy Director Frank Donovan.

 

Administrator Natsios (photo above) inspects rice grains processed in a rice mill constructed with assistance from USAID’s Livelihood Enhancement and Peace (LEAP) program in Cotabato. Established to assist former combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) make the transition from guerillas to commercial-level farmers and fishermen, LEAP has helped more than 24,000 former MNLF combatants in Mindanao with technical assistance and training, agricultural and aquaculture production inputs, and post harvest equipment and support facilities since it started 1997. (Photo below:) Mr. Natsios meets former MNLF members who will make use of the rice mill.

 

Sarah Mulsad (right), the top honors student of Pangapuyan Elementary School in Zamboanga, presses on the switch to light up the “energization map” of the areas provided electricity through USAID’s Alliance for Mindanao Off-Grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) project. Photo below: Ambassador Ricciardone (third, right) and Administrator Natsios (second, right) presented the completed project to the community beneficiaries. With them are ARMM Governor Parouk Hussin (right) and Barangay Captain Abdulgani Jailani (left).

 

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