Residents of Basilan's island town to benefit from MILG water desalination facility
Breaking News • 18:45 PM Sun Aug 6, 2023
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By:
John Felix Unson
The desalination facility project of the Bangsamoro government was launched last Friday. (From MILG-BARMM)
COTABATO CITY - Residents of Tabuan Lasa, an island municipality in Basilan, are to benefit from a P15 million worth desalination facility project that could supply them safe drinking water from the sea, the first ever in the province.
In separate statements Sunday, Tabuan Lasa Mayor Moner Sabbihi Manisan and Basilan Governor Jim Hataman Salliman said the project, funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, was launched last Friday.
Residents of Tabuan Lasa need to sail to seaside barangays in Sumisip in mainland Basilan, about two nautical miles away, to fetch water for drinking and cooking.
“We are thankful to the MILG-BARMM for embarking on this project,” Manisan said Sunday.
Salliman said BARMM Local Government Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo and the mayor of Tabuan Lasa are to jointly oversee the construction of the multi-million desalination facility.
Tabuan-Lasa has a population of 29,327 residing in 12 villages, according to the 2020 Philippine census.
The office of Sinarimbo also has capacity-building interventions complementing the peace and security thrusts of the police in Tabuan Lasa and other towns in Basilan and in Lamitan City that covers more than 40 barangays.