COTABATO CITY—The town of Mamasapano in Maguindanao province, made infamous by the deaths of 44 elite police commandos in an operation to get international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” is being showered with P77 million in infrastructure projects that would be finished next month, according to officials.
Jame Mlok, head engineer of Maguindanao’s second district engineering office, said among the projects is a 120-meter-long steel bridge that would take the place of a wooden footbridge in the village of Tukanalipao, which played a key role in the debacle that defined the operation to get Marwan.
The operation to get Marwan was delayed as members of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police had to cross the wooden footbridge to get to Marwan’s hideout in Mamasapano.
It was on that footbridge where some of the SAF members were killed. Bloodstains could still be found on parts of the bridge.
According to Mlok, also being built is an 880-meter-long access road worth P17.5 million, nine school buildings worth a total P44 million, water sanitation facilities, a farm to market road and a mosque.
Mlok said the steel bridge, which would be called “Bridge of Peace,” would be completed next month.
Another ongoing project is the renovation of the Hadji Salik Kalaing National High School, in the village of Tukanalipao, worth P3.5 million.
The infrastructure projects were started in March this year with Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov.
Mujiv Hataman, the region’s Public Works Secretary Emil Sadain and officials from the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division leading groundbreaking ceremonies.
Hataman said the military has shown that it was supportive of the Mindanao peace process through its active involvement in the implementation of the projects.
The Army’s engineering battalion is involved in the construction of a mosque in the area.
Mlok said most of the infrastructure projects are to be finished on schedule.
The province of Maguindanao is also the recipient of projects from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) worth at least 100 million yen.
The projects are part of Jica’s commitment to support Bangsamoro communities following the signing of the peace pact Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro last year, according to Akihiko Tanaka, Jica president.
In other parts of the ARMM, Jica is funding the construction of multipurpose halls, warehouses with solar dryers and school buildings. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao