P400-M water supply project for conflict-wracked Marawi launched

MARAWI CITY, Philippines — Zubaida Salik, mother of four, is among local residents so vocal in appreciating the P400 million worth water supply project for 40 barangays in this city that officials launched this week.

The scarcity of clean water is a concern that Maranaws in the more than 90 barangays in this city, capital of Lanao del Sur, have been trying to address for decades.

“We are thankful to Allah for giving us this project through the Bangsamoro government,” the 36-year-old Salik said in Filipino Saturday. 

She said two of her children suffered dysentery in 2017 due to water-bourne intestinal infection. 

City and provincial officials, led by Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. and Local Government Minister Sinarimbo of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao launched here Tuesday the P400 million worth project.

The project is bankrolled by the office of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim.

Sinarimbo handed over, during Tuesday’s event, checks amounting to 50% of the actual project cost to the Lanao del Sur provincial government, which will construct the water supply facility.

“The project demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Bangsamoro government to provide for the needs of the communities in the autonomous region,” Sinarimbo said.  

Samir Sarigidan, driver of a passenger vehicle plying the route connecting the neighboring cities of Marawi and Iligan, said Saturday his family and relatives stand to benefit from the project.

“We will help the BARMM government monitor the implementation of the project. We shall post on Facebook updates about it,” Faisal Arsad, a heavy equipment mechanic said in Cebuano, in Maranaw accent.

Adiong said he is thankful to the BARMM government for the P400 million worth project, designed to provide residents of 40 of the more than 90 barangays here with safe drinking water.

Adiong said allowing the provincial government to handle the costly water supply project is a tacit manifestation of BARMM’s trust on his administration.

The project is a deep well-type facility that would draw clean water from underground, to be pumped to the 40 beneficiary barangays.

The 40 barangays are hosts to thousands of residents from nearby villages ravaged by the May 23 to Oct. 16, 2017 hostilities in Marawi City that the Maute terror group instigated.

Evacuees from the barangays devastated by the conflict have not returned yet to their villages to rebuild their homes.

Gerry Salapuddin, administrator of the Southern Philippines Development Authority, said the BARMM government was right enough in embarking on the water supply project.

“Clean drinking water is so important in maintaining the good health of residents there,” Salapuddin, a Yakan from Basilan, said.