COTABATO CITY – In advancing its commitment to enhance infrastructure development in the Bangsamoro region, the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) officially turned over 48 units of heavy equipment to nine (9) District Engineering Offices (DEOs) at MPW Area Equipment Services in Brgy. Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on May 30, 2024.
The heavy equipment, valued at Php388,500,000, includes motor graders, road rollers, excavators, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, and transmit mixers, which were allocated to the DEOs of Cotabato City, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and the 1st and 2nd DEOs of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Sulu.
This turnover marks the second distribution conducted by the MPW in an effort to reinforce the capacities of DEOs in advancing infrastructure growth and disaster response.
MPW Officer-in-Charge Engr. Danilo Ong emphasized in an interview the significance of the equipment, noting its role in expediting project implementation.
“Ito po ay napakahalaga upang mapabilis po natin yung pag-implement ng pangunahing imprustruktura o di kaya yung mga road projects, especially yung mga proyekto na in-undertake ng administration,” he shared.
[This is really important, especially in accelerating the implementation of basic infrastructure or the road projects specifically the projects undertaken by the administration.]
On MPW’s official Facebook page, Ong further said, “This investment is a testament to the dedication to maintaining and improving public works infrastructure which is essential for the economic growth and development of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.”
Looking ahead, Ong revealed plans for another equipment procurement in 2025 to ensure that DEOs are well-equipped to optimize their operations, particularly in handling developmental projects and calamity response.
With the strengthened capacity of DEOs from this recent handover, they are expected to improve their services to cater to the infrastructure needs of Bangsamoro communities, essential to contributing to the region’s overall growth.
Developing a system of reliable and resilient infrastructure aligns with the Priority Agenda of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim for 2023-2025. (Bai Omairah Yusop/BIO with reports from MPW)
