Kingdom lends SR 375 million for road projects in Philippine region 1360411108703095700.jpg Governor of the Philippine province of Lanao del Sur Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. speaks with Arab News. (AN photo) RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO Published — Sunday 10 February 2013 Last Update 10 February 2013 12:55 pm | نسخة PDF Send to Friend Print News | A A LATEST STORIES IN SAUDI ARABIA Father of Abha assault victim appeals verdict Loss-wary Saudia to skirt Arab Spring path New year gives private schools little to cheer about Falling Pakistan rupee raises pilgrimage cost ‘Indian Muslims fall prey to dirty politics’ More The Saudi Arabian government has made a first payment of SR 75 million ($ 20 million) — of an expected SR 375 million ($ 100 million or P 1.96-billion) soft loan — for various road projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), according to a high-ranking official from that Philippine region. Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr., who is visiting Saudi Arabia, confirmed that the loan was granted to a Mindanao-based construction company to implement the project in the second quarter of this year. Adiong Jr., whose late father was an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), said the amount will bankroll vital road projects in the south, particularly in the seat of the ARMM government. It will be implemented by the Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In an exclusive interview, Adiong Jr. thanked the Saudi government for the financial assistance. He said it will help economic development in ARMM, especially in building proper infrastructure and boosting the agriculture sector. The ARMM covers the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. He said Saudi Arabia has made similar gestures in the past in a bid to bring peace to the region. The road projects funded by the Saudi government include the East Diversion Road, SR 65.3 million (P 709.03 million); Lake Lanao Circumferential Road from Marawi City to Bayang, SR 38 million (P 421.6 million); Lake Lanao Circumferential Road from Bayang to Ganassi SR 38.7 million (P 420.3 million); Basilan Circumferential Road from Tumahubong to Isabela SR 38.7 million (P 414.9 million); and the Basilan Circumferential Road from Isabela to Sumisip SR 38.2 million (P 415.2 million). These are scheduled to be completed in May 2014. The governor said that President Benigno Aquino III’s administration sees the people of ARMM as real partners in the country‘s development. Citing the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), he added this will pave the way for more Muslim countries to invest in the Philippines and ARMM. Under the framework agreement, Adiong Jr. said there will be seven commissioners from the government and eight from the MILF, including the chairman. The visiting official, who was the guest of honor at the induction party of Shakba International here, said that his area alone, which has 39 municipalities, was given one billion pesos (SR 92.1 million) for various infrastructure developments by the current administration. The previous administration only gave 100 million pesos (SR 9.2 million). There has also been a monthly 110 million pesos (SR 10.13 million) from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA). He said that he is now implementing a water system project worth P 150 million (SR 13.8 million), of which five million pesos (SR 470,000) will be allocated for local ports. He added that another P 500 million (SR 46 million) from the agriculture department will be spent to rehabilitate the provincial road of Lanao del Sur. For the first time in recent history, his provinces have had almost zero crime until the Jachob "Coco" Rasuman scam emerged. He advised the relatives of the investors in the multi-billion scam not to take the law into their own hands given the approaching deadline of Feb. 28 to pay back the investors. Rasuman has been linked to a pyramid scam in Mindanao and Visayas. He was arrested in November last year by a joint police and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operation in Marawi City. A number of OFWs based in Saudi Arabia have also been victims of the scam. On education, Adiong Jr. said his region has many educated people in various fields, thanks to the Mindanao State University, which has produced high caliber graduates, including engineers, doctors, and teachers. “We have waited long for such projects. We have exerted painstaking efforts for Saudi funding to resume because past administrations failed to ensure the necessary coordination almost six years ago,” Adiong Jr. told a local newspaper. In a report, DPWH Assistant Secretary Emil Sadain, concurrent ARMM’s public works regional secretary, said the loan proved the Saudi government’s “manifest trust” in Aquino’s reform agenda for ARMM through the administration of caretaker regional Governor Mujiv Hataman.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 07:17:40 +0000
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