Transnational entities, BARMM embark on joint health program

COTABATO CITY — Efforts to provide residents of the Bangsamoro region with more extensive health services got a boost with the partnership of its regional government and two transnational outfits, the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the International Organization for Migration.

Radio reports on Wednesday, August 27, stated that the health minister of the Bangsamoro region, Kadil Monera Sinolinding Jr., KOICA’s director in the Philippines, Youngsun Jung, his deputy, Hyungwon Hanna Lee, IOM’s chief of mission, Tristan Burnett, and Erina Yamashita of their sub office in the country, met in Cotabato City over the weekend and talked about cooperation in health initiatives for residents of the autonomous region.

During their dialogue, they agreed to fuse ranks and push forward the Bangsamoro Resilience through Inclusive Governance and Healthcare Transformation Program (BRIGHT-BARMM) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The BRIGHT-BARMM aims to capacitate health workers in the Bangsamoro region and hasten the delivery of health services throughout its territory, which covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato City. 

The KOIKA, established in 1991, shall bankroll the BRIGHT-BARMM.

“We in the Bangsamoro health ministry are grateful to the Korea International Cooperation Agency and the International Organization for Migration for venturing into this humanitarian activity,” Sinolinding said.

He assured the officials of KOICA and the IOM who met him at the Bangsamoro regional capitol in Cotabato City that the funding from them for the BRIGHT-BARMM should be spent wisely and transparently.

The project is focused on strengthening and maximizing health systems in the BARMM, safe motherhood and adolescent reproductive health, disaster risk reduction and management and surveillance and migration health management.

During their meeting, Jung told Sinolinding that the KOICA supports the public service initiatives of the regional government for the communities in the Bangsamoro region.

The KOICA started supporting health programs in BARMM since the inception of its regional government in 2019.

The BARMM, a product of 22 years of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, was established in early 2019, replacing the then 27-year-old less empowered Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.