Marawi siege survivors benefit from Barmm’s Project Tabang

By Teng Lauban Datu
Cotabato City Bureau Chief

MARAWI City — At least five thousand individuals in Marawi City benefited from the various basic services brought by the Bangsamoro government through its Project Tabang in Barangay Boganga last Friday.

Project Tabang included the conduct of free medical and dental services, and legal services, the distribution of free medicines, relief packs, hygiene kits and garbage bins, and a feeding program.

The beneficiaries are families affected by the infamous five-month long Marawi siege which occurred in May to October 2017. These families have been living in an evacuation site in Barangay Boganga since the siege.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Al Hadj Murad Ebrahim, who graced the conduct of Project Tabang, said, “The recovery and rehabilitation of this city is one of our 12 Point Development Aganda during this transition phase, and we can do it together with you.”

Project Tabang or the Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan was launched by the Bangsamoro government last month as a flagship program on bringing basic government services to communities across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Among the highlights of Friday’s Project Tabang were the launching of the ‘Ambag Program’ or the ‘Ayudang Medikal mula sa Bangsamoro Government’ which intends to promote great accessibility to health services and help indigent Bangsamoro constituents avail of the needed medicines and medical procedures.

The Ambag program was lauched through a signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bangsamoro government and the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City.

“Marawi has not yet recovered, but what’s certain is that the support from the Barmm and other humanitarian and government agencies keeps us going,” Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra Usman said.

Also announced during the program were the construction of new Integrated Provincial Health Office of Lanao del Sur and public markets in the towns of Kapatagan and Madamba. (with reports from bpi barmm)