P22-M Pamana water system benefits 13 Tantangan villages

TANTANGAN, SOUTH COTABATO – All 13 barangays of this municipality are the beneficiaries of a P22 million Level II potable water system project built under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (Pamana) Program.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) Director and Pamana National Program Management Head Cesar De Mesa and Tantangan Mayor Benjamin Figueroa Jr. led the official turnover of the facility on Thursday, May 6.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami especially kay Presidente

Rodrigo Roa Duterte [para] sa fund na ibinigay nila [sa amin]. Habang may tubig po mula sa projects natin ay magagamit po ito ng tao, ng mga constituents natin sa 13 barangays (We thank especially President Rodrigo Duterte for the fund that they allocated. Until there’s water from these projects, our constituents can use it),” Figueroa said.

The water systems were built in barangays of Magon, Mangilala, New Cuyapo, Poblacion, Dumadalig, New Iloilo, Cabuling, New Lambunao, Bukay Pait, Maibo, San Felipe, Libas, and Tinongcop.

Meanwhile, De Mesa explained that the Pamana Program is in line with the six-point peace and development agenda of the Duterte administration, and supports the Philippines’ comprehensive peace process.

“Ito (Pamana) ang programa ng gobyerno para sa mga (This is a program of the government for the) conflict sensitive at (and) vulnerable areas at mga lugar na (and places which are) geographically isolated and depressed areas (Gidas),” De Mesa said.

‘Pagka maganda po ang kabuhayan ng ating mga mamamayan ay hindi sila basta basta ma-recruit ng kung sino mang rebelde (If the livelihood of our communities is booming they could not easily be recruited by any rebels),” he added.

De Mesa and Figueroa also led the project’s exit conference participated in by the beneficiaries and the project contractor.

Exit conferences are held to address issues and concerns related to a project’s implementation before it is officially turned over to beneficiaries.

Also attending the event were municipal Engr. Joseph Pudadera; Tantangan barangay chairmen Musa Magon, Noel De Castro, Armando Nono, Eliezer Reyes, Johnny Alada, Pedro Rufino, Jr., Maibo, Jose Cabayao, Benhur Peñol, Rodelio Palomo, Jimmy Juaneza, Ernesto Layos, Julio Leal, and Nelia Delos Reyes.

Also present were LtCol. Edwin Alburo, commander of the 40th IB and Col. Joel Mamon, commander of the Joint Task Force Talakudong and deputy commander of the 601st Brigade; and PCpt. Brandie Rasos from the Philippine National Police.