REACHING OUT. Workers from various government line agencies of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Monday (March 9, 2020) attend to over 2,000 families affected by the Feb. 3, 2020 fire incident that swept through three villages of Jolo, Sulu. BARMM workers, operating under Project Tabang, distribute food packs, kitchen wares, hygiene kits, clothing, school supplies, medical aids, and provide dental services to the affected families. (Photo courtesy of BARMM government)
JOLO, Sulu – Thousands of residents here received free basic government services from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) through its "Project Tabang" conducted on Monday.
Project Tabang--acronym for “Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan”-- is one of the BARMM’s flagship programs that aims at bringing government services closer to the people of the region.
“We believe that one of the best ways to introduce the government to the people is to bring it closer to them, hence, this project”, said BARMM interim chief minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim during the program launch here.
The beneficiaries consisted of 2,379 families affected by the Feb. 3 fire that destroyed 1,377 houses in three barangays of Jolo.
“We thank you for your being here when we needed help most,” Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan told BARMM officials involved in the program.
Through the convergence of the different ministries of BARMM, the regional government distributed food packs, kitchen wares, hygiene kits, clothing, school supplies, teachers’ kits and learners’ kits to the residents.
Medical aids were also provided such as dental services, circumcision, medical consultations, eye screening, hypertension and diabetes screening, nutrition screening, immunization, micro-nutrient supplementation, and free medicines.
Other services include the distribution of fishing materials such as a complete set of 5.5-HP engines, gillnet, tuna hand lines, and squid jiggers.
“We know that it is hard for you to go to Cotabato city where the BARMM government center is situated so we brought the government here with the help of Allah,” Ebrahim said.
During the program, Ebrahim also introduced one of the BARMM’s banner programs, the Project AMBAG or “Ayudang Medikal Mula sa Bangsamoro Government” that aims to address the health needs of the poor in the region by partnering with hospitals to cater to indigent patients.
The conduct of Project Tabang here is the fifth for the various BARMM agencies since its launch in September 2019. (PNA)
