KIDAPAWAN CITY--- Mayors and governors in five provinces comprising the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) received Tuesday a total of P1 billion infrastructure subsidies earmarked for various projects.

The projects are designed to complement Mindanao's peace process through economic empowerment of sectors in areas where there are Moro secessionist forces.

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The grants, drawn from the 2009 infrastructure subsidy of Armm, are covered by implementation contracts between the recipient-local officials and Armm Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan.

Armm's public works regional secretary, Hadji Rasul Abpi, said contracts were signed en masse by the local officials during a simple ceremony presided over by Ampatuan at the 32-hectare Armm compound here, a supposedly simple event that turned into a pledging session "where the mayors and governments reaffirmed their political loyalty to President Arroyo and reassured of their support to her separate peace overtures with the rivals Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)."

Abpi said that out of the region's P1 billion infrastructure subsidy this year, P411.5 million would be spent for projects in Maguindanao; P170 million for Lanao del Sur; P113 million for Basilan; P158 million for Sulu; P108 million for Tawi-Tawi, and P21 million for Marawi City.

He added a big bulk of the grants for each province would be spent for roads, bridges, flood control projects, and water systems.

Abpi said 90 percent of the projects to be implemented by the Armm mayors and provincial governors would benefit impoverished areas where members of the MNLF and MILF reside.

"One objective of President Arroyo and the Armm administration in implementing these projects is to improve the economy in areas where there are rebel forces for them to feel that the government is indeed sincere with its Mindanao peace effort," Abpi said.

Abpi said local communities will be provided with lists of projects intended for them as part of the government’s effort to maximize multi-sectoral involvement in the management of the Armm's socio-economic programs for them.

Tawi-Tawi Governor Hadji Sadikul Sahali said local officials that received infrastructure grants today have also been given authority to handle the funds for the projects intended for their towns and provinces.

Mayor Wahid Sahidullah of Tongkil, an island town in Sulu, said it was for the non-involvement of mayors in regional governance, and the absence of infrastructure grants from the Armm government during the past administrations that they have wanted to be bolt out of the autonomous region.

Ampatuan said he wants transparency in the handling by local officials of the funds intended for various projects in their respective areas.

"Failure to implement these projects religiously would mean an immediate takeover of the management and control of the projects by the public works department of Armm," said Ampatuan adding, "the recipient-local officials owes their gratitude to President Arroyo, who has been supportive of the Armm leadership's peace and development initiatives."