Tawi-Tawi locals thank BDA-MTF for water system project
In Tawi-Tawi, source of potable water is a struggle. People have to get water from distance, or even from other barangays or sitios. They have to pay both for the water and for the transportation; join the line of people waiting to get their containers filled with water.
But today, the people of Tawi-Tawi particularly from the barangays of Tup-Tup, Banaran Tunggusong both in the municipality of Sapa-Sapa, and Basnunuk in the town of Languyan see brighter future as they are all recipients of water system project from the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) through the program dubbed as Bangsamoro Assistance for Development and Community Empowerment (Bangsamoro ADVANCE).
“Thank you very much BDA, staff and the donors of this project, because of this program, many people will be helped. Our community really needs water”, Amil Ombra Manulon of Brgy. Banaran Tunggusong.
Madun Mangkabong, president of People’s Organization in Brgy. Tup-Tup is also thankful for the help being extended to them and for the BDA staff for visiting them in their community as part of monitoring activity.
For some, the water system project gives them hope.
“The coming of this project from BDA-MTF is a hope for us because as this water flows, our lives will also do which gives us hope towards progress”, Imrada Usama, PO Treasurer in Brgy. Brgy. Tup-Tup Banaran, Sapa Sapa said.
According to Sawadjaan J. Manulon, PO President of Banaran Tonggusung, Sapa Sapa, the whole community is now focused on their organization.
“Now, we are focus with our organization. I can see in their eyes the thirst not only for clean water but also the hope for a project coming from Bangsamoro”, Manulon told.
Brgy. Tup-Tup, Banaran Tunggusong, and Palate are all under the 117th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
They are among the fifty sites of the Bangsamoro ADVANCE program which are all within the influenced areas of the MILF.
Bangsamoro ADVANCE, with 50 sites, is conceptualized in support to confidence building measures of the GPH- MILF as provided in the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB). This was also in respond to the clamour from the communities especially on the implementation of basic services including livelihood opportunities.
It is implemented by the BDA in partnership with the Community and Family Services International (CFSI) as trust fund recipient.
The program is supported by the MTF with various donors such as such as the European Union, the Swedish International Development Agency, the Australian Embassy Philippines, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada, the United States Agency for International Development, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the World Bank which also serves as trust fund secretariat.
BDA Communication Group (Tawi-Tawi Province)