The Bangsamoro government’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) led the joint ground breaking ceremony of two storey Barangay Hall building in the villages of Gang, Banubo, and Simuay in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao province earlier today, May 1, Labor Day.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and Interior and Local Government Minister and Head of Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action on Disaster Incidence (READi) Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo led the ceremony together with Sultan Kudarat Mayor Datu Shameem Mastura, Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament Members Datu Tucao Mastura and Sittie Shahara Mastura, and barangay officials from the said beneficiary villages.

Chief Minister Ebrahim said the project was very sentimental to him as it is located near his home. “The construction of these structures will serve as a symbol of the Bangsamoro government in every community across the region,” he said.

Minister Sinarimbo said the two storey barangay halls will ensure the presence of government in the villages and ensure greater access by our constituents to government services.

“The three barangay halls being constructed are part of the intial 20 of the 220 barangay halls that are currently being constructed in the villages of Sulu, Lanao, the 63 barangays from North Cotabato, Cotabato City and Maguindanao,” said the minister.

The project is designed to have a session hall for its sanggunian and office spaces for its barangay officials.

Minister Sinarimbo added that the next 200 will be constructed within the year in all of the provinces across the region.

“By 2022, our ministry is targeting the completion of 400 units of barangay halls across the region,” he added.