Maguindanao del Norte 'fishing capital' gets fire station project

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Corrected 1:19 p.m.) — Efforts to boost the investment climate in the "fishing capital" of Maguindanao del Norte got a much-needed push Thursday in form of another multimillion-peso infrastructure project of the Bangsamoro government in the area.

The local government unit of Datu Blah Sinsuat and the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao together launched Thursday the construction of a P7-million fire station building in the still 12-year-old town in the western seacoast of the province.

Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulrauf Macacua, Bangsamoro Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo and Mayor Marshall Sinsuat together led the launching of the project in Barangay Pura in the seaside Datu Blah Sinsuat, covering 13 barangays that are homes to mixed Muslims and Christians.

Datu Blah Sinsuat, touted as Maguindano del Norte's most peaceful town, boasts of no less than 10 tons of daily catch of fish from its territorial seas.

Local officials have confirmed that wealthy merchants engaged in trading of petroleum products have lately been trying to establish connection with their LGU, interested in setting up large fuel depots in coastal areas.

The office of Sinarimbo, who is also overseeing BARMM’s disaster and calamity response outfit Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence, shall also provide Datu Blah Sinsuat with a brand new firetruck. Officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection were also present in Thursday’s launching of the fire station project.

The MILG-BARMM and the Blah Sinsuat LGU had built a police station in the municipality early on and are together still constructing a municipal government operations office and five barangay halls in the area.

Datu Blah Sinsuat is about 40 kilometers west of Cotabato City, the capital of BARMM.

“Let is work together for peace and sustainable development to spread around Datu Blah Sinsuat and in all other municipalities in Maguindanao del Norte,” Gov. Macacua told local residents after the project launching rite.

Gov. Macacua was accompanied to Datu Blah Sinsuat by Bai Sandra Sema, who had served as congressional representative of the still undivided Maguindanao province, and mayors of different towns in Maguindanao del Norte.