ARMM launches ‘Functional Barangay Three Months Challenge’ in Basilan

From Philippines
Jump to navigation Jump to search
→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.
(PNA), NYP/TPGJR/

LAMITAN CITY, Basilan (PNA) – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has launched a competition to encourage the villages in this province to be functional as the smallest local government unit.

Abou Mohammad Asmawil, Interior and Local Government provincial director, spearheaded on Friday the launching of the competition, dubbed as the “Functional Barangay Three Months Challenge.”

Asmawil said the aim of the competition is to ensure that the barangays are functional, being the frontline of governance.

Asmawil said those involve in the competition are 55 of the 210 villages of this province that have received projects this year from ARMM-HELPS (Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Synergy).

Bimbo Epping, ARMM-HELPS coordinator, said the infrastructure projects they provided to the 55 barangays included barangay halls.

“There are many projects being implemented by the regional government, sayang if the barangay is not functional,” Asmawil explained why they launched the competition.

He said the winners of the competition will be receive PhP10 million worth of projects from the Office of the Regional Governor.

The winners will be known on February 18, 2017, exactly three months from the date the competition was launched.

Asmawil said they have tapped the different sectors, including the military and the police, to help them monitor the barangays whether or not they are functional.

He said they will identify another 30 barangays to comprise the participants of the competition for the year 2017.

The Liga ng mga Barangay presidents from this city and 11 municipalities, who graced the launching of the competition, have expressed full support to the Functional Barangay Three Months Challenge.

The launching of the competition is a joint undertaking of the DILG-ARMM, ARMM-HELPS, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries-ARMM (DAF-ARMM), and ARMM-BRIDGE (Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Equity).