COTABATO CITY — Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo led Thursday, Oct. 28, the joint ground breaking ceremony for the construction of 22 two-storey barangay halls in Pikit and Aleosan clusters in BARMM’s Special Geographic Area (SGA).
The barangays are Rajamuda, Bagoinged, Boliok, Barungis, Kabasalan, Gli-Gli, Bulol, Macabual, Balong, Manaulan, Pamalian, Lagunde, Bualan, Panicupan, Nalapaan, Batulaan, Nunguan, Gokotan, Nabundas, and Macasendeg in Pikit cluster; and Dunguan and Tapodok in Aleosan.
Sinarimbo emphasized that in order to strengthen the capacity of local government units at the barangay level, they need to have an improved center where constituents can easily access their services.
“Base kasi doon sa pag-aaral namin, ang pinakamahina at pinaka-importanteng antas nong ating pamahalaan ay barangay kasi sila yung unang pinupuntahan ng mga tao,” Sinarimbo said during the ceremony held at Barangay Batulawan, Pikit.
“At maliban doon sa pagsasaayos ng mga barangay halls, alam din namin yung kahalagahan nito hindi lang sa amin sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao kundi pati doon sa mga katabi natin, katulad ng North Cotabato,” he said.
Funded under the Local Government Facilities Development Program of the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG), each of the town hall is worth Php3.5-million.
Construction is expected to be completed within four months.
Batuwalan Barangay Chairwoman Bailana Matalam thanked the Bangsamoro Government and the MILG for bringing their services to its constituents in the Special Geographic Area.
“Itong barangay hall na ito kasi nakita ko yung plano, napapaloob doon ang desk para sa barangay council, desk para sa mga senior at persons with disabilities, kung kaya’t di na mahihirapan magpunta ang mga nasasakupan sa malayong lugar,” she said.
A similar ground breaking ceremony was held Friday, Oct. 29, for the construction of 18 town halls in Pigcawayan and Misdayap clusters, SGA.
Bangsamoro Government targeted to build 250 barangay halls across the region, and according to Minister Sinarimbo, more than a hundred are already being constructed. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
