P166-M roads to connect poor Maguindanao villages

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the provincial government of Maguindanao on Wednesday agreed to construct P166-million worth of roads connecting underdeveloped Moro peasant areas in south of the province.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Regional Public Works Secretary Hadji Emil Sadain, Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu and Mayor Jihan Mamalinta-Mangudadatu of Pandag town, signed in a simple rite held in Cotabato City an agreement detailing how the projects are to be funded and implemented.

The construction of the "peace roads" will commence this month, Hataman said.

Hataman's office will bankroll the construction and concreting of the roads through the regional Department of Public Works and Highways.

Hataman said the road projects are intended to interconnect farming communities in Maguindanao's adjoining Pandag, Mangudadatu, Buluan, Paglat, Datu Paglas and S.K. Pendatun towns.

The six predominantly Moro towns are the top rice and corn producing areas in the second district of Maguindanao.

Datu Paglas and Buluan, which is the new provincial capital, are also hosts to multinational Cavendish banana plantations exporting harvests to Japan and to the Middle East.

Mangudadatu said he is thankful to the Hataman administration for its continuing implementation of infrastructure projects in Maguindanao, which has 36 towns, since he assumed as caretaker of the ARMM government in late 2011.

Hataman was elected as ARMM's eighth regional governor during the May 13, 2013 local, regional and senatorial elections.

Mangudadatu said the projects in Maguindanao of the ARMM regional government complements the normalization agenda of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Part of the socio-economic objectives of Malacañang and the MILF, as indicated in security and economic cooperation pacts both sides crafted, is the restoration of normalcy in conflict zones through infrastructure and agricultural interventions needed to boost the productivity of Moro rebels.