ARMM govt opens new covered court, barangay hall projects

MAGUINDANAO - Officials and Moro traditional leaders on  Sunday launched two multi-million community projects in the province under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government's Health-Education-Livelihood-Peace and Security (HELPS) program.

The ARMM-HELPS is a direct community development intervention initiated by the regional government. It is intended to address underdevelopment in far-flung areas.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, along with HELPS personnel, Engineer Don Loong, who is the region’s assistant public works secretary, Regional Deputy Executive Secretary Rasol Mitmug, Jr., and local executives led Sunday’s groundbreaking rite for a covered court and a barangay hall each in Barangays Pandag and Dulangan, located in Maguindanao’s Pandag and Datu Odin Sinsuat towns, respectively.

The HELPS started implementing community projects in selected underdeveloped areas in the autonomous region in the first quarter of 2013.

Hataman said the government has earmarked P10 million each for Barangays Pandag and Dulungan, which are among the 50 HELPS recipient-areas scattered across the autonomous region.

The covered courts and barangay halls in Pandag and Dulungan will be constructed on lands donated by private landowners.

Pandag’s mayor, Jihan Mamalinta-Mangudadatu, said they are thankful to the ARMM for selecting Barangay Pandag, from whose name their municipality's name was derived, to become one of the 50 areas where the HELPS is to initiate interventions aimed at addressing poverty and strengthening governance through socio-economic and political empowerment of local sectors.

The launching of the HELPS covered court and barangay hall project in Barangay Pandag was also witnessed by the mayor’s spouse, regional lawmaker Khadafeh Mangudadatu, an incumbent member of the ARMM’s 24-seat Regional Assembly.

The Mangudadatu couple donated the land where the ARMM-HELPS will build the barangay hall and covered court.

Hataman said the projects are meant to establish a functional barangay government in the area.