ARMM gov’t awards P292.9-M infra projects in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Wednesday awarded five more contracts for P292.9 million worth of new road projects in Maguindanao in support of Malacañang’s Southern peace process.

The contracts for each project were signed in Cotabato City by Hataman, his public works secretary, engineer Don Mustapha Loong, and representatives of the contracted engineering firms, in the presence of reporters.

The five projects are to be implemented in the first district of Maguindanao, a known bastion of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Hataman said the projects, concreting of four arterial networks, the Tamontaka-Kusiong-Tapian road (P48.5 million), the North Upi-Datu Blah Sinsuat provincial road (P69.8 million), the Tapian-Datu Blah Sinsuat road (P110.5 million), the North Upi-Datu Blah Sinsuat-Lebak road (P34.9 million) and the construction of Nuyo Bridge (P29.1 million), will be implemented in utmost transparency.

The BRE Construction Corp. will implement the Tamontaka-Kusiong-Tapian and the Tapian-Datu Blah Sinsuat road projects while the Dalanon Company and MUST Enterprises will build the North Upi-Datu Blah Sinsuat provincial road and the North Upi-Datu Blah Sinsuat-Lebak roads, respectively.

The Nuyo Bridge shall be built by the CS Construction Company, which has the lowest project cost quotation, offered in a bidding process initiated by auditors, officials of the ARMM’s Department of Public Works and Highways and representatives of various civil society organizations.

Loong and Hataman both said the projects will be supervised and monitored closely by engineer Nash Ibrahim, chief of Maguindanao’s first District Engineering Office.

Hataman said the funds for each of the five projects are to be drawn from the ARMM’s 2015 infrastructure budget.

“These projects will complement the socio-economic agenda of Malacañang’s peace overture with Moro sectors in Maguindanao,” Hataman said.

Hataman said the road projects, once accomplished, will boost the productivity of the agriculture and fishery sectors in Maguindanao’s Datu Odin Sinsuat, Datu Blah Sinsuat and North Upi municipalities.

“We are embarking on these projects to hasten the socio-economic agenda and normalization efforts of President Benigno Aquino III and the MILF in this part of the autonomous region,” he said.

The ongoing government-MILF peace initiatives are focused on restoring normalcy in conflict-stricken areas to generate livelihood opportunities for impoverished Moro families and to provide children convenient access to public schools.