COTABATO CITY – 1,600 indigent families from Maguindanao are set to receive food assistance from the Project Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (KAPYANAN) of the Office of the Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim.
On Tuesday, August 17, KAPYANAN Deputy Project Manager Engr. Abdulnasser Usman led the first wave of food packs distribution in the municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Parang.
The food packs include two sacks of 25-kilogram rice, canned goods, green monggo, salt, cooking oil, sugar, coffee, and a water container.
Recipient families were the same beneficiaries of the KAPYANAN housing projects – complete with solar power and water element, funded through the OCM’s 2019 budget appropriations.
Similar food distribution will be also held for beneficiaries in the municipalities of Sultan Mastura, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Upi, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and Mother Kabuntalan.
In an interview with KAPYANAN Project Manager Abdullah Cusain, he explained that the houses were the first component of the program, next is the food assistance, followed by livelihood support to the family beneficiaries.
“Itong 1,600 beneficiaries is equivalent to the number of houses in the first district of Maguindanao na target nating pabahay,” said Cusain.
“Eto yung remaining commitment natin sa 2019 … Early part of 2020, if I recall it correctly ginawa natin yung first tranche of food distribution, unfortunately nagkaroon ng first surge (Covid-19), so yung distribution ay nagkaron ng pause,” he added.
Sarifah Bilang Tago, 39, a mother of 9 in Parang Municipality, thanked the Bangsamoro Government for its KAPYANAN Project.
“Napakasaya po namin dito dahil yung iba po walang bahay katulad namin, tapos ngayon maayos na yung bahay namin. At nagpapasalamat po kami sa mga tulong na ganito (food aid) dahil kahit papaano andiyan po kayo na tumutulong po sa amin,” Tago said. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
