LAMITAN CITY, Basilan — The Ministry of Public Works (MPW) has completed about 27 different infrastructure projects, ranging from finger wharves to road networks and farm-to-market roads, all of which are targeted to uplift the living conditions of the people of Basilan, one of the provinces that comprise the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

MPW Basilan District Engineer Kasim A. Hasanin said yesterday that the series of infrastructure projects they just completed are aimed at propelling the province’s needed economic development and bringing Basilan at par with the neighboring provinces in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.

Hasanin said that the various infrastructure projects were funded under the MPW regular infrastructure fund of 2023 and were just completed near the closing of the first quarter of 2025.

When asked why it took the MPW-BDEO so long to complete the projects, Hasanin replied, “We still have to wait until the funds are made available to us, followed by several stages before the project can start.”

“This includes project planning and preparation, bid solicitation, evaluation, post-qualification, and finally, contract award and implementation,” he said.

Among the completed infrastructure projects were several road networks (a kilometer long) and flood control systems, finger wharves and slope protections.

He said Maluso town was a recipient of eight infrastructure projects ranging from a road network, finger wharf and shoreline protection.

The town of Akabar was a recipient of four infrastructure projects — concreting of roads and shoreline protection: Tabuan Lasa town — recipient of three projects, finger wharf and concreting of road: Hadji Muhtamad town — eight infrastructure projects, concreting of roads, flood control and slope protection: and the towns of Tipo-Tipo, Sumisip, Lantawan and Lamitan City were a recipient of a flood control project each.

According to Hasanin, MPW-BDEO will award the various infrastructure projects to the Municipal Local Government Unit of each town where the projects are located and to the residents of the village.

“We will turn over the projects to the MLGU where the projects are located because we believed it is the LGU who will maintain the projects for the local villagers.