COTABATO CITY – Groundbreaking ceremonies were held Dec. 27, for the construction of a 2-storey legislative building in Kabuntalan and a public market in Upi in the province of Maguindanao del Norte.
Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua and Interior and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo graced the ceremony in Kabuntalan Municipality which was also attended by Mayor Datu Salaban Diocolano, while the ceremony in Upi was led by Sinarimbo and Mayor Ma. Rona Cristina Flores.
The public market in Upi is worth Php25-million funded through the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government’s (MILG) Bangsamoro Local Economic Support Service (BLESS) program which aims to support the local government units to exercise their corporate power to enhance and improve their revenue generation.
Meanwhile, during the ceremony in Kabuntalan, Macacua and Sinarimbo and handed over to Mayor Diocolano an initial cheque amounting to Php7,595,000.00 which is the 50-percent equivalent cost of the legislative building.
According to Sinarimbo, the building will have an individual office of each of the members of the Sanggunian, a section hall, and meeting rooms.
“Lahat po nang kayang gawin ng Bangsamoro Government para umunlad ng mas mabilis at makatayo tayo nang mas matatag sa ating lugar ay gagawin ng regional government,” said Sinarimbo.
“Ang Kabuntalan ay alam namin na isa sa mga lugar na historic sa ating struggle. In fact, Si Senior Minister ay dito galing sa inyo, so marapat lang na balikan ng regional government yung mga lugar na nagdala sa atin kung nasaan man tayo ngayon,” he added.
Aside from the legislative building, the Bangsamoro Government has also implemented other infrastructure projects in the town such as barangay halls, farm-to-market roads, and public markets.
According to Mayor Diocolano, the projects are a manifestation that the regional government and the local government unit of Kabuntalan are united.
“Yung legislative building namin maliit at luma na. Kung sakaling maipatayo at mag-function na itong project ay napaka-importante niyan sa amin para magkaroon ng bagong opisina at yung mga documents namin ay hindi na maabutan ng baha,” he said. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
