MUNAI, Lanao del Norte — The Office of the Chief Minister’s Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan (TABANG) Convergence brought the regional government’s programs and services to over 30,000 Bangsamoro residents of this municipality on August 17, 2024.
Through this initiative, various ministries, offices, and agencies converged at Camp Bilal, Sitio Kora-Kora of Barangay Tamparan, offering a range of free basic goods and services, including medical consultations, legal consultations, rice distribution, business name registration, educational materials for students and teachers, and the turnover of construction materials for manual hand pumps.
Bangsamoro Government Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim stated that since its inception in 2019, Project TABANG has significantly reached millions of individuals.
“Sa ilalim ng TABANG, mula noong 2019, nakapagbigay na tayo ng vital assistance sa isandaang mga kooperatiba, humigit kumulang isang milyong indibidwal na beneficiaries, at tatlong libong mga komunidad sa loob at labas ng Bangsamoro Autonomous Region,” said CM Ebrahim.
[Since 2019, through TABANG, we have provided vital assistance to a hundred cooperatives, approximately one million individual beneficiaries, and three thousand communities within and outside the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.]
“Nakapaloob dito ang humanitarian, social services, livelihood assistance, education, health ancillary services, at marami pang iba, Alhamdulillah,” he added.
[This includes humanitarian aid, social services, livelihood assistance, education, health ancillary services, and many more, Thanks to Allah.]
Pursuant to Article VI, Section 12 of the Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) which stipulates the “Assistance to Other Bangsamoro Communities”, the Bangsamoro Government is also mandated to ensure the protection of rights, provide assistance, and undertake programs for the economic, social, and cultural development of the Bangsamoro people residing in communities outside the BARMM.
CM Ebrahim also highlighted that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is no longer the poorest region in the Philippines, according to the latest report by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on August 15. The region’s poverty incidence saw a significant decline from 52.6% in 2018 to 23.5% in 2023.
In his message, Member of Parliament Abdullah Macapaar affirmed that the Bangsamoro Government’s array of programs and services, along with its continued commitment to sustaining the gains of the peace process, has greatly contributed to this achievement. He emphasized that the government will remain steadfast in delivering its promise of moral governance to the people who seek consistent socio-economic progress.
With the theme “Bringing the Bangsamoro Government closer to the people,” this activity is one of the major accomplishments of Project TABANG, as it has consistently worked to support grassroot sectors affected by challenges such as armed conflict, natural calamities, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key officials, including ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament, provincial heads, and executive directors, attended the event to oversee its success. (Norjana Malawi/BIO)
