1 million residents benefit from ARMM program

COTABATO CITY – Some one million residents from 553 barangays across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have benefited from projects implemented under the ARMM’s Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance, and Synergy (ARMM-HELPS) program.

 Anwar Upahm, ARMM-HELPS program manager, said that since the regional government started implementing the program in 2014, it has so far completed 1,062 of the 1,713 infrastructure projects, including the serving of 374 of 563 targeted cooperatives, and building of 257 of 530 barangay halls.

“Projects for 2018 are ongoing and we hope to implement all of these before the transition to the new Bangsamoro entity,” Upham said during a press briefing here Tuesday.

Unfinished projects since 2014 would be finished within this year, Upahm said, adding that they are currently in their 92 percent of physical accomplishment of the ventures.

Other ARMM-HELPS projects include the provision of essential medicine in barangays, construction of barangay birthing facilities and health stations, water and sanitation projects, construction of community learning centers, support to standard madrasah development program, and delivery of basic livelihood and enterprising projects, among others.

Since 2014, the ARMM has earmarked PHP6.2 billion for the high-impact projects in its component provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur, including the cities of therein of Marawi and Lamitan.

Upahm said the ARMM has 2, 490 barangays and that barangay projects beyond 2018 would eventually be handled by the Bangsamoro entity.

ARMM-HELPS is a convergence initiative established to achieve a more coordinated and focused intervention at the barangay level and is regarded as the centerpiece of the regional administration under Governor Mujiv Hataman.

“Our goal is to make our constituents in the region feel that there is a government ready to attend to their needs anytime,” the governor said in a statement. (PNA)