By Teng L. Datu Cotabato City Bureau Chief COTABATO City — “I’m excited to be finally appointed by the Armm Department of Education because I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Johaira Ali said as she awaited the signing of her appointment papers. Seated beside Ali was Musarafah Ebrahim, a teacher who shared her own excitement. “I’m happy to be here,” she said. “I’ve always found joy in teaching, and I feel like this is truly the job for me.” They are just two of the 75 teachers whose appointment papers and deployment orders were signed by Armm Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman and newly-installed regional education secretary Rasol Mitmug, Jr. All the teachers present in the signing would be assigned to schools in the first and second districts of Maguindanao. The mass signing was held at the Badjao Training Hall in the Armm Regional Compound on Monday. Qualified, not endorsed Hataman noted the negative perception in the Armm regarding appointments. “I made sure to meet all of you today because I wanted to tell you personally that you are here not because of anyone’s endorsement, but because you are qualified,” the governor told the teachers in the mass signing. Meanwhile, Mitmug reminded the teachers of their crucial role as educators. “Many of the youth here in the Armm are hoping to receive quality education in our public school system, and the backbone of good and quality education are good and qualified teachers,” Mitmug said. Ali and Ebrahim, both of whom have served as volunteer teachers prior to their appointment, know their responsibility all too well. Threat of terrorism Ali acknowledged the unique challenges in the region, especially with the threat of terrorism and the vulnerability of the youth when it came to the ongoing recruitment of local terror groups. “I always remind my students to be critical and to refuse when someone recruits them into an unknown group,” Ali said. (with reports from bpi armm)