Aerial view of the two barangays of Buliok, located adjacent to each other and separated by the ‘Rio Grande de Mindanao’. Families affected by flooding receive aid from CM Ebrahim’s Project TABANG on Thursday, June 27. (Marhom Ibrahim/BIO)
LIGAWASAN, SPECIAL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS—Residents experiencing massive flooding near the Ligawasan Marsh received aid from the Bangsamoro Government.
On Thursday, June 27, the Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan (TABANG) project—one of the six flagship projects of Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim that extends immediate support to the Bangsamoro community distributed 3,000 bags of 25 kg of rice to affected residents of Buliok, Ligawasan, Special Geographic Area (SGA), and the adjacent village Buliok, Pagalungan, Maguindanao del Sur.
Assistant Senior Minister and Project Manager of TABANG Abdullah Cusain who traveled for almost three hours from the government seat to this remote village personally graced the distribution, and he announced that more aid was allocated to the residents.
“We still have some aid for you, and as soon as it’s available, we will arrange the distribution,” Cusain said.
He explained that before the flooding incidents, the government of the day had already arranged various aids for the residents of SGA but some challenges, particularly in the procurement process, delayed the distribution.
Barangay Captain Luth Salik in an interview during the relief operation confirmed that flooding is a perennial phenomenon since their village is located along the riverbanks and in the vicinity of Ligawasan Marsh, which serves as a catch basin in Central Mindanao during the rainy season.
“Sa panahon ng tag-ulan, pangunanging problema po talaga namin ang baha,” Salik said.
[During the rainy season, flooding is our main problem]
Salik added that while flooding in their locality is a common perennial challenge, he still hopes that it will be mitigated with some flood control projects, which he hopes will be realized in the future.
Speaking in Maguindanaon vernacular to his constituents, the village chief, who is quite popular on social media because of his impressive leadership and altruistic personality, can’t hold his emotional burst seeing his people smiling while receiving aid from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Pagapasen ko ah benal salkano ah mga suled ko e kadtabangan kano tembo langon an ukit ah katawan ko penggulan ko,” Luth said, which made some of the residents weep in tears as well.
[I always exert effort to help you; hence, I am doing my best and exploring every possible way]
A mother of seven children and already a widow, 48-year-old Saida Abdulrahman shed tears when she received the aid from BARMM.
“Thanks to Chief Minister Ebrahim for sending help to us, and for not forgetting us,” Abdulraman said.
She added that raising her children alone since her husband died was challenging, but knowing that there’s a government that truly cares, the situation becomes quite easier.
Saida further said that aside from the rice assistance they received today, she has also witnessed several projects from BARMM in their community, including structures such as a road network, barangay hall, and other social services.
This assistance distribution aligns with Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim’s 7th agenda in his 12-Point Priority Agenda, aimed at enhancing the responsiveness and timeliness of social protection services. Its goal is to reduce vulnerability to economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters. (Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
