Cotabato City (September 2, 2019) – Thousands of residents in the city have benefitted from the free basic services provided by the Bangsamoro Government during the launching of Project TABANG on Monday, September 2.
Project TABANG or the Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan is an initiative of the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) aimed at facilitating the direct and immediate extension of basic services and assistance to the Bangsamoro people, specifically on health and education services.
Chief Minister Ahod Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said that Project TABANG will be conducted regularly in the different areas across the Bangsamoro region, most especially in the poverty and calamity-stricken communities.
“Demonstration ito nung pledge natin na talagang tutulong tayo sa mga tao mismo sa grassroots. We’ll keep up this commitment In Sha Allah,” the chief minister said.
“Our objective is to reach out to the Bangsamoro people and give them the basic services their government can provide, because we believe the governance and public service is not about us, the officials, rather, it is always about the people,” he added.
The residents availed themselves of the following services:
– Seed distribution by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform.
– Scholarship Awarding to Pre-selected candidates by the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education
– Legal advice and notarizations of affidavit by the Office of the Attorney General – OCM
– Medical check-ups, medicine prescriptions, dental check-ups and teeth extraction, circumcision surgeries, and distribution of hygiene kits by the Ministry of Health; OCM Clinic; Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Environment (BRIDGE); Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance, and Synergy (BARMM-HELPS); and Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (BARMM-READI)
– Water testing analyses (free for the first ten clients) and food processing technology display by the Ministry of Science and Technology
– Job Fair for both local and overseas placement, stipends for 266 Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) recipients, allowance for 52 Government Internship Program (GIP) recipients, assistance to selected Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front members by the Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE-BARMM)
– Livelihood assistance for 40 Overseas Filipino Workers by MOLE-BARMM in coordination with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration
Meanwhile, a simultaneous activity was also conducted in the town of Rajah Buayan in Maguindano province spearheaded by the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM).
MILG Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo emphasized that the idea behind the Project TABANG was to bring a comprehensive array of government services to far-flung communities in the Bangsmaro region.
“Tinatarget natin ang community na ‘to para sigurado tayo na ang serbisyo ng gobyerno ay mas nailalapit sa kanila, kaysa sila pa ang pupunta sa atin,” Minister Sinarimbo said. (###)
