Consistent with the government’s mandate to situate the indigenous peoples into the center of its social reform initiatives, the President has appointed a well-experienced cabinet member Datu Nasser C. Pangandaman, Al Haj to lead the Department of Land Reform.

Secretary Pangandaman, who was born in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, has joined the Department since March 2002, as Undersecretary for Mindanao Affairs. Just recently, this task has evolved when former Secretary Rene C. Villa asked his office to oversee the promotion of the rights as well as the development of all indigenous groups.

Through his strong representation of the people in the South, the national government, through DLR, has channeled multi-billion development projects to the region, which resulted to the socio-economic upliftment of Mindanao.

Since then, he held significant roles in carrying out the government’s socio-economic reforms. As the new Secretary of DLR, he vows to look after the welfare not only of the indigenous groups but also of the two equally important groups of beneficiaries – the farmers, who are the main beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and the disadvantaged urban poor.

The Secretary has a vast experience in implementing huge and flagship projects of the government. Before coming to DLR, he held vital positions in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) from 1993-1996. He was designated as chairman of the ARMM Task Force created by the regional governor to fast track the flagship projects during the administration of former President Fidel V. Ramos.

Prior to that, he was also the regional governor’s chief of staff from 1993 to 1995. Aside from being the regional chief of staff, he also served as special assistant to the regional governor and ARMM representative to the Mindanao Conference for Investment and Growth during the period. He resigned in 1995 to run for provincial governor in Lanao del Sur. A few years after, he became the manager of HNN Ventures.

He also represented the ARMM on official missions outside the Philippines, namely; Head of the ARMM delegation in the International Labor Organization Conference on Indigenous Communities in Thailand; ARMM representative to the State Visits of H.E. Pres. Fidel V. Ramos in the Sultunate of Brunei Darussalam and in Manado, Indonesia; Head of the ARMM Delegation in the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) regarding the organization of the BIMP-EAGA in Ujung, Pandang, Indonesia; ARMM representative to the PAL inaugural to Lubuan East Malaysia and the ARMM Business Group to the Malaysian Business Council; Head of the Philippine media delegation to the Ministry of Public Information in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and a member of the Philippine Haj Mission to Mecca, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1973, 1979 and 1980.