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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is seeking the World Bank’s assistance in advancing various infrastructure projects in Sulu province, which is part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Emil K. Sadain, DPWH Undersecretary and “Build, Build, Build” chief implementer, said that preliminary talks have been held with World Bank officials about financing investment in pavement rehabilitation/upgrading and asset preservation to help improve road accessibility and address the inadequacy of water supply in Sulu.

Mr. Achim Fock, the Manila-based World Bank Operations Manager for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, and Sadain, the DPWH Secretary Roger G. Mercado’s focal person for BARMM infra projects, visited the province on Friday to improve cooperation and coordination with the provincial government and appropriate offices in the planning and design of various proposed projects.

When the two officials arrived at the airport in Jolo, the provincial capital, they were greeted by Governor Abdusakur M. Tan and other World Bank and DPWH officials.

“We are looking forward to implementing development infrastructure projects in Sulu with the cooperation of the World Bank as an opportunity to strengthen social service delivery and boost peacebuilding efforts that will help ensure inclusive growth,” Sadain said in a statement on Sunday.

The initial budgeted estimates for potential road and water projects are $50 million.

This sum will be used to maintain and preserve the 162-kilometer Sulu Island Circumferential Road, as well as to address the problem of lack of safe water access by providing water supply and sanitation services.

About 40% of the road, or 64.8 kilometers, will be upgraded and rehabilitated if it becomes structurally defective, while asset preservation work on the remaining 60%, or 97.2 kilometers, will extend the life of the road pavement.

The DPWH National-World Bank team conducted on-the-ground field assessments of the operation of existing groundwater supply sources at Camp Asturias (Kiram Spring) Pumping Station in Barangay Asturias, Jolo, and Gravity Feed Pumping Station in Barangay Umangay, Patikul town, in addition to project discussions with Tan and Sulu Mainland Water District officials.

It was the first time a World Bank team visited Sulu in the southern Philippines, a province blessed with fertile lands, sweet fruits, and fresh aquamarine products but beset by decades of armed conflict caused by violent extremist groups and banditry, as well as clan disputes, which have severely harmed the province’s economic and social conditions.

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