North Cotabato barangays get P14M in infra projects

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines - Five barangays in North Cotabato province got P14 million worth of infrastructure projects as special Yuletide bonus from the provincial government.

Jessie Horbidalla, chair of Barangay Latagan in Matalam town, on Monday told The STAR he and his constituents are grateful to North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, whose office constructed for them a P1 million worth water system, now supplying local folks with safe drinking water.

Besides the water supply facility, Mendoza also inaugurated last month two new covered courts, one inside the campus of the Kilada Elementary School and the other in Central Malamote, also both in Matalam town in the 3rd district of North Cotabato.

Each of the covered courts costs P1.5 million, according to an emailed statement from Mendoza’s office.

The governor also turned over to barangay folks before New Year’s day two concrete farm-to-market roads, each costing P5 million, to residents of Barangays Katidtuan and Upper Paatan, both in Kabacan town.

Kabacan is also located in the 3rd district of the province.

Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman said the two road projects were part of the Mendoza administration’s “Serbisyong Totoo” initiative, which is focused on socio-economic interventions needed to improve the productivity of local peasant communities.

The newly accomplished infrastructure projects in Matalam and Kabacan were turned over by the governor to beneficiary communities in the presence of local officials and North Cotabato 3rd District Rep. Jose Tejada.

Rowena de Leon and Ameloden Ganyon, incumbent barangay captains of Kilada and Malamote, had both said they are grateful to Mendoza for constructing covered courts in their barangays.

“We shall use it for sports and as venue for peace dialogues among local residents,” De Leon told The STAR.