COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 27 March) – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will soon release P155 million to its local government units as part of the quick response fund for the fight against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
BARMM spokesperson and Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo, said Thursday the fund is expected next week, as the battle to control the disease has become a race against time, and resources are needed for the implementation of community quarantines.
Relief goods inside the BARMM compound in Cotabato City. MindaNews photo taken on 25 March 2020 by FERDINANDH CABRERA
He said the regional government acknowledges the importance of LGUs as frontliners in the fight against Covid-19, so BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim issued a memorandum circular for the release of the fund.
Each province in the region will receive P5 million, each city P2 million, and each municipality P1 million.
BARMM includes 63 villages from Cotabato province which voted to join the region in a referendum held in January last year.
The emergency fund will come from BARMM’s contingency fund.
Also on Thursday, the Office of the Chief Minister conducted a relief operation in Cotabato City, which has been placed on a lockdown. distributing food packs and personal protection equipment.
Abdullah Cusain, deputy executive secretary of BARMM, said they were targeting to distribute food packs and hygiene kits to a total of 2,045 households from Barangay Bagua 1, as well as personal protective equipment for barangay volunteers manning the city’s entry and exit points.
The barangay also received two thermal scanners, masks, gloves and disinfectants.
Sinarimbo said employees of the Ministry of Interior and Rapid Emergency Action Response on Disaster Incidents (READi) received food packs in recognition of their role in addressing the crisis. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)