Two villages in Camp Bilal held two consecutive ceremonies for the sub-projects under Mindanao Trust Fund- Reconstruction and Development Project Phase II (MTF-RDP/2).
Barangay Balintad in Madamba, Province of Lanao del Sur formally accepted the 1150-meter Tire Path during the Turn-over rites held on 11 May 2019. Moreover, Barangay Barit in Balindong officially commenced the Construction of 1.013-km One Lane Concrete Road on its Groundbreaking ceremony on the following day, 12 May 2019.
Present were officials and representatives from management and implementing units, partners and stakeholders such as Community and Family Services International (CFSI), Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA), Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation (JTFCT), Local Government Units (LGUs), Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs), People’s Organizations (PO) and private contractors.
The Tire Path, which costs Php 1,379,915.35, was constructed by NMM Builders and Enterprise while the One Lane Concrete Road amounting to Php 6,807,780.90 was set to be built by AMMAR Construction. These projects are envisioned to provide convenient transfer of products by the farmers and to deliver easy transportation and better accessibility for the community members, especially those who are with specific needs like women and children.
“I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who are present today especially those who have helped us realized this project,” said Balintad Noble Action for Social Reform People’s Organization President Yusof Adomping in his acceptance speech. “In Shaa Allah (In Allah’s Will), our community members shall now work efficiently with this cause,” he added. “I pray to Allah to grant you all with more blessings,” he ended.
Ayobkhan Isman, JTFCT member expressed his appreciation on the event of this first turn-over conducted in Camp Bilal. “I want to recognize the effort of our elders and officers in the community who have invested so much time in the implementation of this project,” said Isman. “May we conserve and take good care of what has been given to us so that we will be granted more similar undertakings,” he furthered.
Meanwhile, after breaking the ground on the actual project site, a pre-implementation meeting was arranged at Barangay Barit. The said meeting aims to orient the members on how the process shall take place during the project operation.
“I’m glad that this project shall now be actualized,” said Barit People’s Organization for Cooperation, Transparency & Accountability President Ali Salic Diangca. “I ask everyone’s cooperation to facilitate the immediate completion of this Road Project,” he noted.
Saidali Hadji Salic, JTFCT member, was seen very hands-on on the operations of the Camp Bilal projects. On his short message during the ground breaking, he encouraged community members to be active in supervising the projects. He also emphasized that the efforts of the community shall determine the success of the implementation.
The onset of the Barit Road Project was halted at some time in November 2018 due to some internal concerns with the former service provider. With its recent start, it is expected to be completed on August 2019.
Said projects are in line with the initiatives under the Mindanao Trust Fund- Reconstruction and Development Project Phase 2 (MTF-RDP/2), a program partnership between CFSI and BDA.
The MTF-RDP/2 implementation is in accordance with the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB). Its objective is to empower communities in targeted conflict-affected areas to achieve improved access to socio-economic services and infrastructures.
Moreover, it also includes transforming the communities in the six previously acknowledged camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) such as Camp Abubakar as-Siddique, Camp Badre, Camp Bilal, Camp Bushra, Camp Omar and Camp Rajamuda into peaceful and productive communities.
The MTF is a multi-donor trust fund supported by donors such as the European Union, the government of Sweden, Australia, Canada, United States, New Zealand and the World Bank. The World Bank functions as Trust Fund Administrator of the MTF.
The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) also provided complementary assistance directly to CFSI in support to the objectives of the MTF-RDP/2 through the project referred to as “Supporting Access to Basic Services and Building Institutional Capacity in Conflict Affected Areas in Mindanao or MTF-RDP/2-AECID.”