Cotabato City (March 29, 2020)—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) marks its first anniversary today, March 29, 2020.
According to Chief Minister Ahod ‘Al Haj’ Murad Ebrahim, the Bangsamoro Government originally planned to hold commemoration activites, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “the Bangsamoro Government will instead focus on service delivery for its people today,” he said.
“Aming napagtanto na mas prayoridad natin ang paglaban sa sakit na ito at matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” Ebrahim said.
This month, the Bangsamoro Government has turned over hundreds of medical supplies and equipment to COVID-19 referral hospitals such as the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City, Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital in Sultan Kudarat Maguindanao, and to Amai PakPak Medical Center in Lanao del Sur.
More medical supplies are expected to arrive in the region, which will be distributed to other priority hospitals, including Maguindanao Provincial Hospital, Basilan Genreal Hospital, Sulu Provincial Hospital, and Datu Sakilan Memorial Hospital in Tawi-Tawi.
Meanwhile, to address the needs of it residents affected by the community quarantine, the Bangsamoro Government has started its simultaneous relief operations all over the region.
Ebrahim said the BARMM’s Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) has allocated an initial amount of P7.3 million to its provincial offices to procure relief goods for the constituents earlier this week.
The MSSD-BARMM will also lead the relief distribution in the 63 barangays in North Cotabato.
In Cotabato City, over 16,000 famillies have been targeted by the Bangsamoro Government for its massive relief operation.
To date, relief packs for 8,072 household from barangays of Bagua 1, Rosary Heights 1, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 3, and Poblacion 7 have already been turned over to their Barangay Chairmen, and will be distributed to the affected families door-to-door.
Each relief pack contains 10 kilos of rice, canned tuna and sardines, corned beef, packs of noodles, and sachets of instant coffee.
Aside from this, each barangay also received medical supplies such as 2 thermal scanners, masks, gloves, Personal Protective Equipment or Hazmat, and hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, toothpastes and soap intended for their barangay health workers.
Furthermore, hundreds of ‘habal-habal’ and “payong-payong” drivers in the city individually received a 25 kilogram rice pack.
On top of this, the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) has alloted a total of PHP 155 million to the Local Government Units all over the Bangsamoro region in order to further intensify their efforts in containing the spread of COVID-19.
Each of the BARMM’s five provinces—Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan,Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi—will receive P5 million. Its three cities— Cotabato, Marawi, and Lamitan—will receive P2 million each.
Meanwhile, its 116 municipalities will receive P1 million each, and the 63 barangays in North Cotabato will receive a total of P8 million.
“Dahil sa kinakaharap nating krisis, amin pong tinatawagan ang lahat na isantabi muna ang lahat ng pagkakaiba-iba at magkaisa upang masugpo ang sakit na ito,” Chief Minister said.
“Malayo na tayo mula sa dating nakagisnan na kaguluhan, ngunit totoo rin na marami pa tayong kailangang gawin upang mas mapatatag ang ating Bangsamoro Government at mapalaganap ang mensahe ng Moral Governance,” he added. (Bureau of Public Information)
