FIFTEEN two-storey barangay halls are set to the constructed in the province of Tawi-Tawi, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) said Thursday, November 23.
The construction of the 15 village halls contained in the agreement entered into by Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) and Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali on Monday, November 22.
The agreement sets the stage for the immediate construction of the facilities to ensure a swift turnover to priority barangays in Tawi-Tawi, with a primary focus on those lacking or having damaged barangay halls.
With a total budget of P83 million from the MILG, the fund utilization shall be in three tranches: the first tranche with 50 percent of the approved project cost, the second tranche with 40 percent, and the third tranche with 10 percent.
Sinarimbo said that there are guidelines for choosing the priority recipient barangays.
“First, those that lack it. Second, those with damaged barangay halls. In fact, 50 percent of the approved project cost will be immediately handed to them to expedite its completion,” he said.
He said the Barmm Government is firm in its dedication to supporting Tawi-Tawi, underscoring the province's great potential waiting to be tapped, and the foreseen high returns on investments, boosting the community’s economic activities.
“The Chief Minister is allocating projects to all of Barmm's provinces. In particular, we are very keen on developing Tawi-Tawi. It has great potential, especially in tourism,” he said.
“We are expecting a high return on investment that will revitalize our economy,” he added.
Sali said that having barangay halls is a necessity, especially in the efficient service delivery of the local leaders and the instrumentality of the edifice in easing people's access to government projects and services.
“They will be truly called a barangay because they will soon have their own barangay hall. People can now easily approach the barangay leaders because there is a place for their projects,” Sali said. (SunStar Zamboanga)