ARMM to build housing project, health office in Lanao town, Marawi City

LANAO DEL SUR – Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) led the groundbreaking ceremony of the “Pabahay ng ARMM” housing project in Saguiaran town in Lanao del Sur province.

The housing project, located in the village of Pagalamatan, is intended for families displaced by the Marawi Siege last year, particularly those staying at the covered court and People’s Park at the municipal government compound.

Gov. Hataman thanked Pagalamatan village Chairman Wahab Pangcoga for donating his own land for the project. After the Marawi Siege, it was a challenge for the regional government to locate a land where the projects would be built, according to Gov. Hataman.

“Sisikapin natin na matapos agad ang proyekto na ito bago pa man matapos ang taon para sa mga kababayan natin naapektuhan ng Marawi Siege,” he said.

Aside from permanent shelters, the governor also plans to build a prayer house or a mosque and a covered court within the area intended for internally displaced persons.

Luvizminda Sani, chief of Lanao del Sur’s 1st District Engineering Office, said the shelter project will consist of 200 housing units with water system. The total land area for 50 core shelters is one hectare. Each housing unit measures 36 square meters in floor area and 120 square meters in lot area. Each unit would cost P300,000 to build.

The housing project is equipped with solar panels and water systems and are part of the ‘Apat na Dapat’ framework of the ARMM – Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment, or ARMM-BRIDGE, which aims at providing decent homes, food, water, light, and livelihood to the region’s constituents.

And as part of efforts to ramp up progress in the health sector, a new structure more conducive for hundreds of health workers in Lanao del Sur will be constructed to house the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO).

The same building will also host the satellite office of the ARMM’S Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART) in Marawi City.

Gov. Hataman has already signed a memorandum of agreement for the construction of the building, and along with other officials, led its ground-breaking ceremony recently. He said that creating a safe and high-quality healthcare environment will boost the passion of the health workers to provide sustainable and essential health services to the regional government’s constituents.

“Sa pamamagitan nito mas inaasahan namin na mas mabibigay natin nang maayos ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” Gov. Hataman said.

The three-story building has an allocation of P20 million that is taken from the special purpose fund of the region’s chief executive, said Norkhalila Mambuay-campong, head of the Office of the Regional Governor.

“After how many years of existence ng IPHOLANAO del Sur, ngayon lang magkakaroon ng sariling building at malaking bagay po ito sa mga health workers para mas makapagserbisyo ng maayos sa mga kababayan natin sa Lanao del Sur,” Dr. Alinader Minalang, the provincial health officer, said.

Minalang said the province’s health office is grateful as the ARMM institutes reform in the health sector and is continuing its efforts to make health one of the instruments in peace building in the region.

“Talagang masaya po kami dahil nakikita namin na hindi nawawala ang atensyon ng ARMM sa probinsya namin at ngayon mas lalo kaming nae-engganyo na magtrabaho ng maayos,” said Jalal Muksarun, an IPHO staff.

At present, health workers in Lanao del Sur are occupying a small space inside the Marawi City Hall.

The ARMM-HEART satellite office can also provide quicker response during emergencies to Marawi City and other towns in the province.