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A Tausug  boy's  dream to end ARMM’s longest road 

By Ferdinandh Cabrera

Cotabato City (November 5)--- In the mid-70’s he was a young boy in Jolo town who don’t want miss  school despite  rainy days, those days that  he negotiates the muddy and slippery roads and when sunny days come, he strides the dusty and neglected-deteriorated roads.  

Town folks used to describe these roads in jest as the longest roads in ARMM; the reason, these roads built has been taking too long before it would be completed or has no chance at all to be completed and benefits the communities.

Don is one of the young Tausug who then believe change could happen in his time.

At one moment while going to school during his elementary days he said to himself, “One day I will fix these longest roads”.

Sec. Mustapha "Don" Loong during his speech at the 25th anniversary

He remembered when he was a child; he used to travel with his family and relatives traversing the circumferential Island provinces of ARMM, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi from his Sulu origin.

 They journeyed the muddy rough terrains and eroded slopes that a single false move of Tamaraw type vehicle would mean deadly accidents.

“ Since then it reverberated in my mind, my dream is to help finish these longest roads, said Don who is on his 39^th now.

Inspired by the struggles he saw from the people from his home province from people’s lack of access to town center town due to road conditions, immediately after his high school graduation he took Civil Engineering degree at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and was lucky to be accepted.

And just like the jerky road from where he came, he battles the rough and tough Civil Engineering course. But despite hardship, he never gave up but stands still to his goal and finishes the study.

Don narrated UP Diliman’s Civil Engineering course is one of the country’s toughest that only few can reach the finish line, he was glad he made it.

Don, whose real name is Engr.Mustapha Loong is the present regional secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

*Celebrating the Golden year.

Full-packed DPWH-ARMM compound attended by employees and officials during the silver anniversary

On November 5, DPWH-ARMM celebrated its silver year.

Field workers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) across the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao converged at the regional office in ARMM compound in celebrating the 25th anniversary of their agency’s devolution to the ARMM governance.

It was an event of thanksgiving and reunion filled with sports activities and prizes after 25 years from its devolution in October 1990 after the signing of Republic Act 6137 Organic Act of ARMM by then President Corazon Aquino.

In his speech, Loong credited the sacrifices of Moro National Liberation Front revolutionaries headed by its chairman Nur Misuari to the creation Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where hundreds of thousand lives has been sacrificed.

Today he is proud to say that empowered, competent and compassionate Moro leaders are running the ARMM to the right path under the leadership of Governor Mujiv Hataman.

He reiterated the agency’s evolution from being the ARMM’s “second most graft-laden agency” to “best performing regional cabinet department.

“The 25^th year is just the beginning to bring more access to civilizations, hospitals, schools and access to the bigger world”, Loong said.

Milestone of Reform

The colorful saga of DPWH-ARMM’s 360 change of image started in 2012 just after  President Benigno Aquino with its reform agenda appointed to ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman for a transition government.

DPWH-ARMM first step amended the Public Works act and for the history in ARMM has generated 290 Million pesos in savings.

Reforms continued with competitive biddings, transparent procurement process, acquisition of new equipment, establishment of E-ARMM, pushing vigorously in Information and Communications Technology using the geo-tagging of implemented projects and applied simplified systems.

It was then also when they optimized resources, transformed the organizations and practices innovative systems.

All these was credited to the designated Tausug Engineer Emil Sadain, Al Haj who in his short stint as regional secretary before going back to his base in DPWH central office as Under Secretary has left a “brand as the ARMM’s “top performing” regional cabinet official.

Loong being his second man of these successes who was with Sadain during his stay and now task to pursue the mission wanted to continue the momentum and do more.

“ We will be working 30 times more, much faster and more projects, to accomplish the dream of a reformed ARMM”, he said.

DPWH-ARMM present administration had received various recognition for having reformed the appropriation of the ARMM’s annual capital outlays to “high impact” projects such as national roads and bridges in the region, and the introduction of many operational innovations including the “E-ARMM and huge savings which later converted in constructing state-of-the-art DPWH district offices, additional equipment and facilities.

In his parting message last July, Sadain told his staff: “We have planted the seed of reforms in our agency’s operations in ARMM. Nurture our gains and do away with the unfavorable practices that tainted the agency in the past.”

And due to trust and confidence showed under Hataman’s watch, the national government increased the ARMM’s annual capital outlay from half a billion pesos in 2012  to P2-billion in the next year, and approved major infrastructure projects in ARMM worth P10-billion for this year and P20-billion for next year.

At present 1,500 kilometers of road in entire ARMM from 4,500 kilometers has been paved and several projects to meet the target areas to be covered.

An amount of 1.2 billion of pesos worth will be implemented by DPWH-ARMM allocated to build additional schools, 1 billion pesos for health facilities, 1 billion for the support of ARMM Helps and a single billion remains for the roads repairs and construction.

*To work faster without pressure on upcoming elections and the BBL

DPWH-ARMM has got the reputation from the national agency that build projects even near or inside the red zones (conflict areas) and the farthest communities that even outsider contractors have been invited.

But the real challenge  according to Loong for the agency is how to work faster to meet the target implementation framework.

In his anniversary message, he reiterated to his subordinates to continue working and be not bothered by political pressures brought by the upcoming election or the Bangsamoro Basic Law issue.

“ The challenge now is within us, we have to implement projects as fast as we can before election ban comes, we will work as a team and united, continue to find the managing risks we face”, Loong stressed.

The agency at present is bracing for ISO: 9001 international quality standard of government service, a theme for their golden anniversary.

And looking back then, the boy who only wishes and dreamt before of change is now holding the ball to make things happen.

“ Now, as Secretary of DPWH-ARMM, I am partly living that dream of helping finish the so called” longest roads in the region, and I am glad I am doing it with a reformed and passionate team competent engineers which Usec. Emil Sadain has trained and mentored”, he ended.

END.