Cotabato City (April 15, 2020)—Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim has been named as the new chair of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This was announced by Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Spokesperson Karlo Nograles in a virtual presser on Tuesday, April 14.
Nograles said the IATF-EID has approved the recommendation of the National Task Force COVID-19, designating the “Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Chief Minister of the BARMM as chair of the regional IATF in their respective regions.”
Meanwhile, Nograles said the regional offices of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) will chair the inter-agency task groups for all other regions.
After President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared Philippines under Public Heath Emergency under Presidential Declaration No. 922 on March 8, the BARMM has created an IATF to provide policies and formulate practical measures to avoid spread of COVID-19 in the region.
The BARMM IATF was then co-chaired by Executive Secretary Abdulraof Macacua and Health Minister Saffrullah Dipatuan.
Following its creation, the BARMM-IATF has released, on March 14, a guideline aimed at protecting its constituents against the said virus.
The task force has set up an emergency operation center inside the Bangsamoro Government Center in the city to monitor the COVID-19 cases in the region.
The BARMM IATF also leads the repacking and distribution of medical supplies and relief goods in the Bangsamoro region.
Since its operation, BARMM IATF’s Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun has been providing regular updates on the COVID-19 situation in the region via online live streaming on the task force’s official Facebook page. (Bureau of Public Information)
