BARMM News
Short link: https://wp.me/paaccn-mQk
COTABATO CITY — One of the vital bodies of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is the Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incideence (READi), for its rule in responding to calls for humanitarian assistance.
The Bangsamoro READi is under the wings of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), one of the primary ministries of the BARMM. Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo heads the MILG.
BARMM has another humanitarian- and disaster response agency, Project TABANG (Help), which is under the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) of the Bangsamoro government. Presently, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Ahod Balawag “Al-Hajj Murad” Ebrahim is the Chief Minister.
As it has been doing since its creation, READi teams deployed on October 4, 2022, responding to calls for assistance emanating from three barangays (villages) of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte, whose residents continue to suffer from severe flooding.
More than 700 residents in the flood-prone barangays benefited from the relief assistance with the help of its barangay officials. The barangays that were given assistance are Butilen, Maitum, and Gambar.
Banca amids the flood waters. (Images: MILG)
Officials of the three villages and the residents expressed thanks to the Bangsamoro READi.
Barangay Gambar Captain Ebrahim S. Bagundang spoke for the residents. “I am grateful to the BARMM government headed by Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al-Hajj Murad” Ebrahim, for bringing help to our village.”
Earlier on September 30, Bangsamoro READi joined Project TABANG in Lamitan, Basilan, one of the component provinces of the Bangsamoro region.
Ebrahim, with members of his Cabinet, led Project TABANG the program on the island province, with the theme, “Bringing the Bangsamoro Government Closer to the People.”
The Chief Minister emphasized at the event that Project TABANG’s objective jibes with the theme of the event, getting the services of the Bangsamoro government closer to the people. He said this activity has been ongoing yearly under the Bangsamoro government, but the 2019 pandemic stalled it in 2020 and 2021.
Local chief executives of Basilan joined the event.
Ebrahim assured that Project TABANG will continue its activities in other parts of the BARMM region.
The Bangsamoro region is comprised of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as 63 barangays or villages in North Cotabato but under the Bangsamoro government’s jurisdiction and are collectively known as the Special Geographic Area (SGA).
Residents of the 63 villages voted to be under the Bangsamoro government in a plebiscite in January and February 2019, as part of efforts to widen the region’s territorial jurisdiction. (/)