ARMM inaugurates new DPWH building

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines - Officials inaugurated on Wednesday the newly-constructed district public works office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao  (ARMM) in Malabang town in the province.

The construction of the ARMM’s district engineering office in Malabang, a coastal town in the second district of Lanao del Sur, was a joint project of the office of ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman and the region’s public works secretary, Hadji Emil Sadain.

The building appeared bigger and looked more expensive than its actual cost, according to Engineer Abib Arumpac, chief of the Lanao del Sur 2nd District Engineering Office.

“Apparently there was utmost honesty in the implementation of the project by the ARMM government,” Arumpac told reporters.

Sadain said the P4.8-million building was built according to its specifications.

“We are very grateful to the ARMM government for having built this office,” Arumpac said.

The building was jointly inaugurated by Hataman, Sadain, and Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr.

The ARMM’s Department of Public Works and Highways, and the region’s education department were touted as the most corrupt agencies in the autonomous region before Hataman was appointed ARMM caretaker in 2011.

Hataman was elected regional governor of ARMM on May 13, 2013.

The DPWH-ARMM and the region's Department of Education, under Secretary Jamar Kulayan, mustered almost P2 billion worth of savings, from early 2012 to the last quarter of 2013.

The launching of the newly-built DPWH district office in Malabang was capped off  with the signing of memorandum of agreements (MOAs) on various infrastructure projects for the province by Hataman, Sadain, Adiong, and local executives from recipient towns.