Windfall of Duterte aid for ARMM

DAVAO CITY – Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Duterte delivered a bonanza of assistance for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) from agricultural and fisheries support to massive electrifrication projects worth more than 11 billion.

During the launch of the Comprehensive Reform and Development Agenda (CRDA) in Cotabato City which Duterte attended Saturday, the Department of Agriculture (DA) turned over P500 million in assistance to ARMM.

Aside from the ARMM, conflict-affected areas in Region 9, 10, and 12, also received assistance for farmers and fisherfolk.

“I want the incidence of hunger stopped,” Duterte declared as he also called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to immediately embark on programs to address the high incidence of hunger in ARMM.

This developed as the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the implementation of electrification projects in ARMM’s five provinces next year, totaling 1646.84 million.

At least 94 percent of the budget allocation will be intended for the off-grid electrification projects worth 1610 million that will be handled by electric cooperatives under ARMM, while the remaining 136.84 million will be used to fund on-grid electrification projects.

For the grid-electrification, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur will get 14.84 million, Tawi-Tawi with 118.31 million, Basilan with 12.81 million, and Sulu with 10.88 million next year.

According to DOE, the five provinces received 1574.23 million for the on-grid electrification projects from 2015 until 2016 that benefited a total of 39,365 households.

Duterte assured that they will get “a share of the national wealth” to fulfill his campaign promise.

“Sinabi ko sa inyo, na bubuhusan ko ang pera ang mga Moro regions (I told you, I will pour in money to the Moro regions),” he said.

Duterte said that he was appalled that the poorest areas in the country were in ARMM.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported in 2015 that the five poorest towns in the country in the ARMM. Of the five municipalities, the highest poverty incidence was recorded in BacolodKalawi, Lanao del Sur with 84.8 percent, which doubled by more than two-fold since 2009’s mark of 29.4 percent.

The second highest was Datu Saudi-Ampatuan, Maguindanao, with a poverty incidence of 83 percent, worse than the 43.4 percent recorded in 2009.

This was followed by Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur with poverty incidence of 81.9 percent in 2012 and 55.7 percent in 2009, then Piagapo, Lanao del Sur with 81.4 percent in 2012 and 37 percent in 2009.

The poverty incidence in Talayan, Maguindanao recorded 80.3 percent in 2012 and 50.9 percent in 2009.