Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Roger G. Mercado led on Thursday, June 2, 2022 the ceremonial groundbreaking for the construction of a three (3) storey office building of Regional Project Management Office for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (RPMO-BARMM) inside the DPWH Zamboanga City District Engineering Office compound at Divisoria, Zamboanga City.
When completed, the office building will serve as a bridge that will better connect the national government and BARMM, said Secretary Mercado.
The DPWH RPMO-BARMM was created in 2021 to better monitor and address backlogs in infrastructure programs.
The DPWH Chief was joined at groundbreaking event by Undersecretary and Build Build Build Chief Implementer Emil K. Sadain; Undersecretary for Mindanao Operations Eugenio R. Pipo Jr.; Assistant Secretaries Ador G. Canlas, Antonio V. Molano Jr., Wilfredo S. Mallari, Mel John I. Verzosa and Rolito D. Manalo; Project Director Sharif Madsmo H. Hasim of DPWH Unified Project Management Office (UPMO) Roads Management Cluster 2 (Multilateral); and RPMO-BARMM OIC Project Director Najib D. Dilangalen.
According to Undersecretary Sadain, in-charge of UPMO Operations and focal person for BARMM Infra Projects, the launching of construction of the three (3) storey office building with additional basement facility will enable the DPWH national to fulfill its mandate under Article 13 Section 37 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law or Republic Act 11054 signed in July 2018 by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
With the approval by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) of the creation of new positions and to operationalize the DPWH RPMO-BARMM, an Office Placement Committee was created for the evaluation and selection of personnel to be appointed to the newly created first and second level positions including managerial positions for RPMO-BARMM.
The RPMO will handle the direct implementation of all DPWH national infra for BARMM funded thru General Appropriations Act (GAA).
DPWH is fully committed to implement construction of national roads and bridges, flood control structures, and other infrastructure that will benefit the people of Bangsamoro covering predominantly Muslim provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi‑Tawi including cities of Marawi, Lamitan, and Cotabato.
Meanwhile, Secretary Mercardo has signed Department Order 87 on May 30, 2022 declaring the Sulu Island Circumferential Road of the 1st and 2nd Legislative Districts into a National Road under the Jurisdiction of DPWH thru the RPMO-BARMM and DPWH Region 9.
This new order is pursuant to the provisions of Section 5, item (i) of Executive Order No. 124, dated 30 January 1987, authorizing the DPWH to classify roads and highways into national, provincial, city and barangay roads.
“As a result of this conversion of the Sulu Island Circumferential Road into national road, the DPWH is now responsibile forits maintenance and can undertake better improvement which the people can look forward to especially improved accessibility and reduced travel time leading to enhanced productivity in the province”, said Undersecretary Sadain who made the conversion efforts.
