P20-M facility for Marawi health, rescue workers up for construction

COTABATO CITY – Health and rescue workers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will soon have a PHP20-million, three-story operations center in Marawi City.

Once completed, the building will house hundreds of health workers in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur province, as well as host the satellite office of the ARMM’s Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (ARMM-HEART) in the area.

On Wednesday, ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman inked a memorandum of agreement for the construction of the building, and along with other officials, led its groundbreaking ceremony in Marawi.

“Creating a safe and high-quality health care environment will boost the passion of the health and rescue workers to provide sustainable and essential services to the regional government’s constituents,” the governor said.

Norkhalila Mambuay-Campong, head of ARMM’s Office of the Regional Governor, said the allotment for the project is taken from the special purpose fund of the region’s chief executive.

“Through the many years of existence of the Integrated Provincial Health Office of Lanao del Sur, this is the first time that health workers in the area would have its own building to better serve the people,” said Dr. Alinader Minalang, Lanao del Sur provincial health officer.

Currently, health workers in Lanao del Sur are occupying a small space inside the Marawi City Hall.

Hataman said the ARMM-HEART Marawi satellite office, which will be accommodated in the same building, could provide quicker response during emergencies to Marawi City and municipalities in Lanao del Sur. (PNA)