BASILAN – Some P8-Million worth of infrastructure projects under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s flagship program – Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance Synergy (ARMM-HELPS) were turned over in two villages in Maluso town in Basilan province.
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman led the March 4 turn-over of the P5.4-million village hall and a multi-purpose building in Tubigan, and the P2-million fishing livelihood project in Lower Port Holland. He said the regional government is now focused on delivering socio-economic and infrastructure projects to the towns all over ARMM.
Director Anwar Upahm of the ARMM-HELPS said the village of Tubigan will also receive this tear birthing facilities, armchairs for schools, and cattle for farmers. Por Holland had earlier received its village hall and a youth and women center.
“Sa tagal po namin dito sa Barangay Tubigan hindi po namin lubos maisip na magkakaroon ng mga magagandang projects dito sa lugar namin,” Tubigan village chairman Aurellano Laping said. “Napakasaya po ng mga tao dito sa lugar namin dahil pwede na po sila maglaro at magtipon-tipon sa multi-purpose building.”
Upahm said ARMM-HELPS has served a total of 85 villages in Basilan, one of 5 provinces under ARMM, since 2014. Eight of the villages – Batungal, Tamuk, Taberlongan, Upper Port Holland, Tubigan, Abong-Abong, Fuente Maluso and Lower Port Holland – are in Maluso.
“We are glad about the bulk of projects given to the people of Maluso,” Mayor Hanie Bud said, adding the projects will help uplift his constituents’ lives and will promote peaceful and safe environment.
The town of Maluso – used to be a lair of kidnap-for-ransom groups – is a recipient of last year’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award along with other 19 towns in the region.
The ARMM-HELPS is a convergence initiative of the regional government and is regarded as the centerpiece of the Hataman administration, which has been pursuing programs through the regional line agencies. Its projects include health stations, flea markets and water systems. It also supports cooperatives, and provides medicines and birthing supplies and equipment for its health component.
It pushes for the development of a madaris curriculum, as well as the construction of community learning centers, as tools to combat violent extremism. The recipients are the ones who identify the projects. Since its creation in 2013, the ARMM-HELPS has served 403 barangays in the region’s five provinces. It will serve 150 other barangays this year.
ARMM intensifies efforts to protect fisherfolk
Hataman also vowed to intensify the campaign against illegal fishing and said he ordered authorities to run after those violating the laws. He said the ARMM HELPS has turned over some P2-million worth of boat and fishing supplies to the cooperative in Lower Port Holland also on March 4.
And for Abdulham Mohammad, 48, he remembers the good old days of the fishing industry in Maluso.
“Noon, pusit lang ang hinuhuli ko, kumikita ako ng P500-P5,000 kada araw,” he said, adding that most fishermen would not even reach the market since barter was already being done along the way.
“Hindi na namin kailangan magpunta ng palengke dahil sinasalubong nanila kami noon para makipagbarter,” he recalled.
But big fishing vessels arrived and encroached on their fishing grounds, he said. “Nagsimula ang problema dito sa amin noong unti-unting pumasok ang mga vessels sa municipal waters kung saan nananagat ang mga small-time fishermen,” he said. “Dahil malalaki ang gamit nila, talo ang mga maliliit hanggang sa nalulugi sila at unti-unting binebenta ang mga kabuhayan nila.”
But Mohammad was all praised to the ARMM, saying Hataman helped their community and provided them with fishing supplies, including boats and fishing nets. “Ngayon, unti-unti nang nanunumbalik ang sigla ng pangingisda dahil suportado ng ARMM ang aming kabuhayan,” he said. “Ngayong nagtatrabaho na ako sa munisipyo, nakikita ko ang efforts ng ating gobyerno para sa Maluso.”
Hataman, recalling Maluso’s glory days, said historically the town was really a fishing port. “Lahat ng isda papuntang Zamboanga at Isabela City ay nagmumula sa Maluso,” he said.
Maluso Mayor Hanie Bud thanked Hataman and President Rodrigo Duterte for heeding their request that the town’s municipal waters be made exclusive for local fishers. “Dahil doon bumalik sa pangingisda ang mga tao,” he said. “Mula noong nagbigay ng ultimatum si Presidente, halos nakakabangon na ulit ang small-scale fisherfolk dahil sabi niya paparusahan ang malalaking vessels na papasok sa municipal waters.”
Aside from efforts to help the fisherfolk, Hataman also announced his administration’s plan to help rubber farmers by building a processing center. The former fisherman is also excited about the other projects, which include road-widening, cold storage facilities, and processing plants, in store for Maluso this year. (Bureau of Public Information)
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