Access to potable water now possible for BARMM island provinces

  BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim and MILG Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo during the inspection and launching of desalination machines on Friday, July 30, 2021, in Parang, 
 Maguindanao. 

BARMM island provincesPARANG, Maguindanao – To address the crisis on safe drinking water in the island provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the regional government is scheduled to deliver on August 4 three sets of desalination machines, which costs P20 million each, to the municipalities of Pata, Pandami, and Hadji Panglima Tahil in Sulu.

On Friday, July 30, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim and Interior and Local Government (MILG) Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo led the inspection and launching ceremony of the said project at Brgy. Polloc in Parang, Maguindanao 

At least ten units of machines that will convert salty sea into safe drinkable water will be installed in provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi by MILG, which are granted through the 2020 contingency fund of the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM).

Ebrahim said the project is basically intended for waterless communities in the island provinces that have no access to clean and drinkable water.

“To our constituents especially those living in the island provinces, the regional government is doing its best to alleviate your problems, which are not only limited by the lack of access to safe and potable water,” he said.  

On May 27, MILG and Water Equipment Technologies (WET) Industries, Inc. signed a contract agreement.

WET Industries, Inc. Operation Manager Donna N. Paiso said they are fully committed to help and support the BARMM constituents and their government. 

“We commit ourselves to you and to the future projects of BARMM. We also vow to continue helping other people in Mindanao,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sinarimbo said seven desalination machines are already in transit from Manila to the region.

“Our target beneficiaries are waterless communities such as Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Based on testing, it was found out that despite the efforts to drill and extract water, it is still impossible to gather potable water. Also, the water remains high in salinity that’s why we need desalination machines,” he said.

During the inspection, a representative from the Commission on Audit was also in attendance. (BANGSAMORO INFORMATION OFFICE, MINDANAO EXPOSE’)