Photo by Hamdan Badrudin/BIO
COTABATO CITY—To ensure the safety of children from car-hit accidents while playing along the circumferential road of Lake Lanao, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has allocated Php4.6 million for the construction of children’s outdoor playground, public toilet, and installation of solar street lights at Tuca Maul village in Marantao, Lanao del Sur.
With the initiative of Member of Parliament (MP) Diamila Disimban-Ramos, the groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday, March 17. The project is under the 2021 Transitional Development Impact Fund (TDIF).
The facility is an outdoor playground, where children gather and enjoy the outdoors, allowing them to cultivate social connection, nurture physical development, and comprehensive growth, including their self-confidence, independence, and self-esteem.
Ramos said that through this project, the people, especially the children, in the said barangay will feel more secure as they walk toward their destination because of the solar street lights. She said it is also good for the environment because of the use of renewable energy.
“In response to your request, I am grateful for the opportunity to identify this municipality as a recipient of these projects so that our community members have access to essential facilities such as our identified public toilet, solar streetlights, and children’s outdoor playground,” Ramos said.
“Having a better public toilet is to satisfy their need for personal hygiene and maintaining cleanliness. The solar lights will provide a brighter and safer way for everyone to avoid accidents and other bad events,” she added.
Meanwhile, Barangay Chairman Mohammad Jamal Tanggote said, “makakatulong po talaga sa komunidad namin lalo na po ang children’s playground and 25 solar street lights dahil iyong mga bata ay madalas na naglalaro sa may daanan, lagi po sila na aksidente. Pangalawa, ang solar lights, Alhamdulillah, kailangan talaga sa barangay namin dahil medyo madilim lalo na malapit sa Mosque. Sa proyekto na ‘to, maliwanag na tuwing magsisimba.”
“Sa dami dami po ng barangay sa Lanao del Sur, isa po nabigyan ng proyekto ang aming barangay. Marami pong salamat sa BARMM at kay MP Diamila Disimban-Ramos,” Tanggote added.
Accordingly, the implementation of the program is in partnership with the Ministry of Public Work (MPW) and is expected to be turned over in July this year. (Majid Nur/BIO)
