ARMM to spend P100 million for new hospital in Maguindanao town

MAGUINDANAO – Residents in Datu Piang town and its adjacent areas stand to benefit when the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital Datu Piang Annex is completed this year, according to Governor Mujiv Hataman, of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A total of P100 million would be spent for the new hospital with funds coming from the ARMM Humanitarian and Development Assistance Program (ARMM-HDAP). The project is part of the P2.233 billion total budget of the ARMM-HDAP awarded by the national government through the initiative of the regional government. Governor Hataman, along with other regional, provincial, and municipal officials, led the project’s groundbreaking ceremonies on Friday on the village of Magaslong.

Datu Genuine Kamaong, Datu Piang town mayor, expressed gratitude to the ARMM government for building a public hospital in his town. “Nagpapasalamat tayo dahil binigyan tayo ng isang pinakamagandang proyekto,” Mayor Kamaong said. “Hindi na pupunta ng Midsayap (in North Cotabato province), Shariff Aguak, ocotabato City ang mga residente ng Datu Piang at ng ibang munisipyo para lang magpagamot, dahil mayroon na tayong sariling hospital,” Mayor Kamaong said.

Abdullah Tonga, Maguindanao provincial administrator, urged the people of Datu Piang to continue supporting government projects in their town.

ARMM’S HDAP aims at addressing the immediate needs of conflict-affected families as well as provide followthrough interventions in affected communities. It also aims at establishing a systematic and a coordinated approach in addressing and mitigating the effects of future disasters and calamities, towards a more peaceful and resilient autonomous Muslim region.

“Dapat magtayo ng hospital sa Datu Piang para ang mga residente na malapit dito ay mapagserbisyuhan ng hospital na ito, lalo na kapag may kaguluhan,” Gov. Hataman said.

Engr. Baintan Ampatuan, executive director of the Regional Planning and Development Office and program manager of the ARMMHDAP Project Management Office, also congratulated the local officials and DILG-ARMM on Datu Piang town hall’s completion.

He said the hospital building costs P50 million, while the remaining P30 million and P20 million have been allocated for hospital equipment and for personnel services, respectively. The hospital will have a 25bed capacity. The national government, as well as the ARMM government, has earmarked P2.233 billion in the implementation of projects for 15 conflict-affected municipalities in Maguindanao.

The administration of the hospital, after its completion, will be turned over to the Integrated Provincial Health Office. “The opening of the (provincial hospital) annex will be a very good response to the increasing need of medical services at the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital in Shariff Aguak,” Dr. Tahir Salik, provincial health officer, said.

Inte Matun, 54, a resident of Barangay Muntay in Datu Piang, said the best the hospital could offer will be its accessibility to those who will seek medical attention.

The ARMM-HDAP is a project of the regional government under the Hataman administration that will implement various government initiatives specifically, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction of both “horizontal” – in reference to school buildings, houses, and health centers; and “vertical” infrastructures – or roads and bridges, and provision of livelihood programs.

Based on the 2010 World Bank – World Food Programme study on violent conflicts in Central Mindanao, Maguindanao was the most affected especially in terms of human displacement. It suffered from both manmade and natural disasters.

In 2015, approximately 125,000 local residents were displaced because of intensified military operations to pursue terrorist elements in the area. Thus, Maguindanao has been a priority province under ARMM-HDAP. In January, a new town hall for Datu Anggal Midtimbang in Maguindanao was also inaugurated. Governor Ampatuan said this is the first to be completed among the projects being implemented under ARMM-HDAP.