THE EXPANDED port in Maluso, Basilan, built at a cost of P20 million, was formally opened on Nov. 4 with a turnover ceremony from the regional to the local government. Maluso Mayor Hanie A. Bud said the bigger port, which can now accommodate more vessels, will boost the town’s economy with the capacity to ferry more goods and people. “The movement of passengers will now be smoother, and delivery of services will be more efficient,” Ms. Bud said in a statement released by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government. The project was funded by the ARMM’s Department of Public Works and Highways under its 2016 infrastructure budget. ARMM Governor Mujiv S. Hataman, who led the port event, also turned over a P30-million water system project in Lantawan, another town in the island province of Basilan. A groundbreaking ceremony was also held Saturday for the construction of the Tumahubong-Punoh Dahingan-Punoh Mahadji-Sampinit portion of the Basilan trans-central road. The road segment, with a P322-million budget, covers 14 kilometers (km) of the 55-km road. — Mindanao Bureau
