BARMM, Lamitan LGU embark on P15M market building project

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Lamitan City received from the Bangsamoro government half of a P15 million allocation for a market building project in support of its local government unit’s socio-economic thrusts.

Bangsamoro Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo turned over the checks amounting to P7.5 million to Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay during a simple rite Friday.

The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Furigay's office will jointly implement the two-storey market building project.

“We are grateful to the Bangsamoro government for embarking on this project,” Furigay said after receiving the initial P7.5 million infrastructure grant.

Lamitan City is in Basilan, which also covers Isabela City and 11 other municipalities.

The office of Sinarimbo also released to Al-Barka, Basilan Mayor Jaydeefar Lajid half of a P15 million allocation for a market building in his municipality to help hasten its recovery from deadly armed conflicts in decades past last December.

Sinarimbo, in a message after his turn over to Furigay of the initial fund, said he is glad with Lamitan City’s having received five Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) citations from the central office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government since 2016.

The DILG’s grant of the vaunted SGLG to deserving municipal, city and provincial governments is a yearly program of the department, premised on efficient fund handling, extensive peace and security programs and community-empowerment projects of nominee-LGUs.

Sources from DILG's regional offices in Regions 9 and 12 said an SGLG can never be awarded to any LGU whose officials have issues with the Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman, or are involved in criminal activities.

Sinarimbo said the Bangsamoro government is keen on supporting the peace and development efforts of LGUs in the autonomous region that covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.

The regional capitol of BARMM is in Cotabato City.