Bongao, Tawi-Tawi (July 4, 2017) – Forty families who belong to the poorest of the poor in Simunul town in Tawi-Tawi received houses through the Bangsamoro Regional Inclusive Development for Growth and Empowerment (BRIDGE) program of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The sturdy core houses that were turned over to the beneficiaries are located in Tubig-Indangan, Simunul, and were inaugurated on Monday, July 3, led by ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman and Tawi-Tawi Governor Rashidin Matba. They were assisted by DWPH-ARMM Sec. Don Mustapha Loong and Tawi-Tawi District Engineer Toni Kamlani, Bongao Mayor Jimuel and Simunul Mayor Bonjing Abdurahman and other ARMM officials.
Among the recipients of the program is the family of Sindang Abdur, 57, and Saifudin Abdur, 60. The couple used to occupy a space at Sindang sister’s house made of light wooden materials in the coastal area of Tubig-Indangan. The Abdur family, which is engaged in fishing, now lives in a structurally sound house with water facilities and light powered by solar panels through the ARMM-BRIDGE program.
“Magsukul sa ARMM, kasi ang mga tao ditong mahihirap, wala talagang bahay. Ngayon meron na, katulad namin,” Sindang said. The Abdurs will also be covered by the government’s cash-for-work program over a period of six months and would receive P10,000 in seed fund to start a family-owned enterprise. They will also be provided with their nutritional needs for six months as part of the program.
The ARMM-BRIDGE utilizes a modified community-driven development approach following the ‘Apat na Dapat’ program model, which is focused on poverty alleviation by targeting the four most basic needs of the poorest of the poor ? water and sanitation, food, shelter, and light.
Simunul, Sibutu and Tandubas are the initial target towns of ARMM-BRIDGE in Tawi-Tawi province. Other towns on the BRIDGE list are Balindong, Taraka and Lumba-Bayabao in Lanao del Sur; Barira, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, and Matanog in Maguindanao; Sumisip, Tipo-tipo and Tuburan in Basilan; and Pandami, Parang and Talipao in Sulu.
Governor Hataman said the program aims at alleviating the poverty incidence among residents by targeting 600 poor families across the region under the program’s first swing of implementation. In order to implement these components, a budget of at least P204 million is required, he said.
“The ARMM BRIDGE is a collaboration and complementation effort of the ARMM government and the LGU (local government unit) beneficiaries to combat poverty, especially among the poorest of the poor,” Gov. Hataman said.
Simunul Mayor Bonjing Abdurahman said the local government donated the land in Tubig-Indangan where the core shelters were built. The LGU identified the beneficiaries of the program while ARMM’s Social Welfare Department validated the list.
ARMM-BRIDGE program is a follow up to the ARMM Social Fund Project that ended last year. It complements the Health, Education, Livelihood, Peace and Governance and Synergy program of the regional government.
SOURCE: ( Bureau of Public Information )
July 5, 2017 @ 11:35
N-RBICTO-070517-207
