THE Office of the Chief Minister in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OCM-Barmm) has allocated P155 million to be used in addressing the health crisis brought about by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Naguib Sinarimbo, Interior and Local Government minister, said each of the Barmm's five provinces -- Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi -- will receive P5 million while the three cities --Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi -- will receive P2 million each.
Sinarimbo said the region’s 166 towns will receive P1 million each, and the 63 villages in North Cotabato will receive a total of P8 million.
“This is from the Barmm's contingency fund purposely to augment the local Quick Response Fund (QRF) of LGUs (local government units) in the region to fight against the Covid-19,” Sinarimbo said.
He said Barmm, through its Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (Readi), has dispatched its initial assistance to two of the Covid-19 referral hospitals in the region such as the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City and Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
“We have also distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to the men in uniform manning our checkpoints in the region and to the frontliners of Amanah Bank and Land Bank of the Philippines in Cotabato City to ensure that they are safe while they continue serving our constituents,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that Barmm Chief Minister Ebrahim Murad has directed the immediate construction of a facility in Cotabato Sanitarium Hospital aimed to house potential growing numbers of Covid-19 patients.
“Chief Minister Ebrahim wants it constructed as soon as possible,” Sinarimbo said, citing Barmm has already coordinated with the hospital. (SunStar Zamboanga)