BARMM celebrates one year with Covid activities
COTABATO CITY: The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) celebrated its one-year anniversary by focusing its efforts in fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11054 or the “Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)” on March 29, 2019.
The organic law provides for the establishment of BARMM, replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The establishment of the new autonomous political entity is believed to be the key in realizing Bangsamoro’s dream for self- determination.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod ‘Al Haj’ Murad Ebrahim said the Bangsamoro government originally planned to hold commemoration activities but decided to refocus these on service delivery for its people amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“A ming na pa gt anton am a spray ori dad nat inang pagl ab ans as a kit na it o at matu gun anangp an gang ai lang an( We realized that fighting the disease is a priority to respond to the needs of the Bangsamoro people),” Ebrahim said.
The Bangsamoro government has turned over hundreds of medical supplies and equipment to Covid-19 referral hospitals such as the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Cotabato City, Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital in Sultan Kudarat Maguindanao and Amai PakPak Medical Center in Lanao del Sur.
More medical supplies are expected to arrive in the region, which will be distributed to other pri ority hospitals, including Magui ndanao Provincial Hospital, Basilan General Hospital, Sulu Provincial Hospital and Datu Sakilan Memorial Hospital in Tawi-Tawi.
Meanwhile, to address the needs of it residents affected by the community quarantine, the Bangsamoro government has started its simultaneous relief operations all over the region.
Ebrahim said the BARMM’s Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) allocated an initial amount of P7.3 million to its provincial offices to procure relief goods for the constituents earlier this week.
The MSSD will also lead relief distribution in the 63 barangay (villages) in North Cotabato.
In Cotabato City, over 16,000 famillies have been targeted by the Bangsamoro government for its massive relief operation.
To date, relief packs for 8,072 household from the barangay of Bagua 1, Rosary Heights 1, Poblacion 2, Poblacion 3 and Poblacion 7 have been turned over to their barangay chairmen and will be distributed to the affected families door-to-door.
Each relief pack contains 10 kilos of rice, canned tuna and sardines, corned beef, packs of noodles, and sachets of instant coffee.
Aside from this, each barangay also received medical supplies such as two thermal scanners, masks, gloves, personal protective equipment or hazmat suit, and hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, toothpastes and soap intended for their health workers.
Furthermore, hundreds of habal-habal and payongdrivers in the city individually received a 25-kilogram rice pack.