BARMM Gov’t Constructing Public Market in Maguindanao del Norte Coastal Town

          The town’s chief executive, Mayor Zulficar “Doc Bong” H. Panda hosted the event and was attended by the mayors of the province.

Led by Chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim, the Bangsamoro government is fully funding the public market project, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG). Lawyer Naguib G. Sinarimbo heads the MILG.

         The Php15.5-million public market is part of the Office of the Chief Minister’s (OCM) Support to Local Moral Governance (SLMG) 2021 program, which funds infrastructure projects.

          Sinarimbo, the spokesperson of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said the market will offer residents of this municipality business opportunities and employment.

         He added that this would help the LGU (local government unit) generate income, improve its revenue stream, and possibly improve its income classification.​

          Among those who attended and witnessed the groundbreaking activity included Mayors Abdul Rauf D. Tomawis of Barira, Pahmia A. Manalao Masurong of Buldon. Datu Marshall I. Sinsuat of Datu Blah Sinsuat, Datu Salaban G. Diocolano of Kabuntalan, Zohria S. Bansil-Guro of Matanog, Datu Umbra B. Dilangalen of Northern Kabuntalan, Cahar P. Ibay of Parang, and Ma. Rona Cristina P. Flores of Upi, as well as some vice mayors.

          The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up 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 the 63 barangays or villages dubbed Special Geographic Area (SGA) that voted “yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.

         According to the Philippine Atlas has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)