IMAGE OF THE DAY

From Left: 54th EBDE Commanding Officer Col. Jorge Nomos, DSWD-ARMM Administrative and Finance Division Chief Hja. Sambay Salik-Suwaib, Malabang Mayor Anwar Beruar Balindong and BPI-ARMM Executive Director Samson Gogo lead the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the turn over of the DSWD Pabahay Project in Malabang, Lanao del Sur.

Malabang fire victims in Lanao del Sur get 85 core shelters

Malabang residents whose houses were among those damaged in a fire that hit some areas in the municipality more than a year ago breathe a sigh of relief as the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) turned over 85 core shelter units to selected beneficiaries.

The core shelter units provided by the department to the fire victims now totals to 139 with a budget of 3.475 Million. The department had previously turned over 54 core shelter units September of last year to some of the fire victims.

The funding for the project came from the national office of the DSWD and its construction were undertaken by the 54th Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army. Each core shelter unit has an area of 15.12 square-meters.

Malabang Mayor Anwar Berua Balindong said that he is very grateful to the assistance extended by the DSWD to his constituents.

“We are very thankful to the attention that has been given by the DSWD to the fire victims.The relief assistance that was carried out by the department right after the onslaught of the fire and the core shelters provided to some of the fire victims will go a long way in helping them re-establish their lives.”

The barangays of Banday and Chinatown, whose residents are among the poorest in the municipality, were two of the areas heavily ravaged by the fire.

“The ARMM Regional Government is quite pleased with the sincerity of the national government in its commitment to complement the various development agenda being undertaken in the region. The support that they have been giving coupled with those coming from donor communities embolden our vision of making a difference in the ARMM,” says Bureau of Public Information Executive Director Samson Gogo, who represented ARMM Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan.

An improved delivery of basic social services throughout the region most especially in depressed areas is among the priority area of concern of Governor Ampatuan.

Ampatuan’s commitment to this goal has been repeatedly manifested by the quick response of the regional government to recent man-made and natural calamities as well as the expeditious implementation of key projects intended to address basic social issues confronting constituents of the region.

According to Hja. Sambay Salik-Suwaib, Chief of the Administrative and Finance Division of DSWD-ARMM, the coming up of the pabahay project is a way of providing assistance to the victims who barely have the means to rebuild their homes.

“We fervently hope that the help that our agency is extending to them can give them renewed desire and strength to go on with their lives despite the tragedy,” she said.

ARMM Regional Vice-Governor Anzarudin Adiong said that the regional government is persistent in pursuing various socio-economic development plan that will have considerable impact to the pressing problems in ARMM in due time. (BPI-ARMM)