ARMM earmarks additional P171-M for new Sulu infra projects

COTABATO CITY --- Officials on Tuesday signed a P171 million worth infrastructure cooperation deal for the island province of Sulu, where the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has costly on-going projects designed to spur economic development in the island province.The program covers the construction of new roads and rehabilitation of old ones in Jolo, capital town of Sulu, and in isolated barangays in Maimbung town in the island province.ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Regional Public Works Secretary Don Mustapha Loong, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, Jr., and Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin signed on Tuesday the memorandum of agreement (MOA) detailing the implementation of the projects.The symbolic forging by the four officials of the infrastructure MOA was held at Hataman’s liaison office in Makati City.The projects are to be bankrolled with individual allocations from the ARMM’s 2015 infrastructure subsidy from the national coffer.The ARMM government shall release the project allocations to the office of Tan, earmarked for the the concreting of the Maimbung-Ipil-Bilaan road (P60 million), the Anakjati-Matatal road (P12 million), the Maimbung-Ipil-Bilaan road(P20 million), the Gulangan-Ipil road (P7 million) and the reconstruction of the Pagsalipangan-Maimbung road (P20 million).Loong said the road projects, which the governor of Sulu will oversee, will interconnect farming and fishing enclaves in Maimbung town.Hataman and Loong both said the Commission on Audit will closely monitor the handling of the project funds.The MOA also outlined aP41 million budget for four road projects in downtown Jolo and the improvement of a sewage drainage channel that cuts through oft-flooded spots in the municipality.Loong said the projects in Jolo include the reconstruction of the town’s south market road (P8 million), reconstruction of its north market road (P8 million), the concreting of Tulay Zone III road (P7.5 million), the concreting of the Lahi-Habena road (P7.5 million) and the rehabilitation of the Hadji Buto-Matada anti-flood drainage route.Loong said the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the two district engineering offices in Sulu will ensure utmost transparency in the implementation of the projects.Loong said the corresponding work and budget plans for each of the projects will be open to scrutiny by the media and interested civil society organizations.The funding for the new projects will be drawn from the P2.4 billion 2015 infrastructure budget the Hataman administration allocated for Sulu.Besides Sulu, the autonomous region also covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in mainland Mindanao, and the island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.