COTABATO CITY — Tawi-Tawi Governor Ysmael Sali thanked on Thursday Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua and Parliament Member Jet Lim, the province’s representative to the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament, for his swift response to the massive fire that displaced more than a thousand families in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
Sali said the officials immediately mobilized relief efforts after a blaze late Tuesday night, February 3. The fire razed stilt houses in the seaside Barangay Lamion, leaving 1,138 marginalized Sama and Tausug families homeless.
“Malaking tulong ang agarang pagresponde ni Parliament Member Jet Lim sa mga apektadong pamilya,” Sali said. He noted that Lim coordinated closely with the provincial government, the Bongao municipal government, and BARMM agencies to ensure quick delivery of food and essential supplies to evacuees.
Macacua echoed the governor’s gratitude, praising Lim’s hands-on leadership on the ground while the Bangsamoro government activated its emergency response.
“We thank (Parliament Member) Jet Lim, as well as our regional ministries and local partners, for their immediate action. This kind of coordination is crucial in moments of crisis,” Macacua told reporters.
The BARMM government has approved a ₱25,000 cash assistance for each of the displaced families, to be taken from the region’s Quick Response Fund. Macacua said personnel from the ministries of health, social services, and local government will continue assisting evacuees while they remain in temporary shelters.
Emergency responders from the governor’s office, the Bongao municipal government, Lim’s parliamentary office, and the BARMM Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD) have been distributing food, water, and other basic needs to evacuees since Wednesday.
Some of the displaced residents are currently staying at a gymnasium inside the Mindanao State University campus in Bongao. Others stayed in tents set up by the MSSD-BARMM in open areas around the town.
Macacua also thanked BARMM police director Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman and Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran for supporting the humanitarian operations.
Lim, who also serves as spokesperson of the Bangsamoro parliament, said assisting fire victims is a priority, especially for vulnerable coastal communities.
He assured displaced families that coordination with the regional government and national agencies will continue until they can safely rebuild their homes.
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