Turkey- Philippines' oldest mosque to receive 1 mln funding
Date
2/23/2016 6:48:26 PM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) >The Philippines' oldest mosque will receive more than $1 million in tourism support funding a statement announced Tuesday amid efforts to expand the industry’s potential in the underdeveloped Muslim south.
An official from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) expressed optimism that the Sheikh Karim-ul Makhdum mosque – constructed by an Arab trader in 1380 in a small fishing village in the island province of Tawi-Tawi – would become one of the Philippines’ most popular attractions.
Don Mustapha Loong ARMM Department of Public Works and Highways secretary said in a statement that the P77.6 million ($1.63 million) budget would be used in improving road access to the historic mosque in Simunul town and constructing other forms of infrastructure.
“We are investing on the roads leading to Sheikh Makdum as well as in its periphery because we believe in the tourism potential of southern Mindanao [island]” he said.
He added that the project on the mosque which has been declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission and a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum is expected to last six months.
The project comes at a time of investment aimed at increasing tourism in the region which has been troubled by decades of a separatist conflict.
In 2014 the government and the country’s one-time largest rebel group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a peace deal after 17 years of negotiations.
According to official records 55085 foreign and domestic tourists visited Tawi-Tawi last year generating P965 million ($20.27 million) in tourism gross receipts – marking an increase of around 14 percent compared to 2014.
Local authorities also started a construction project worth P56 million in September at the island’s famous Bud Bongao peak.
Investments are being made across Mindanao including Lanao del Sur province where P100 million has been allotted for a circumferential road near Lake Dapao.
Last week the ARMM government and local government units (LGU) signed numerous memoranda of understanding for projects worth more than P1.9 billion ($39.9 million).
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman has described the infrastructure projects across the region as a manifestation of trust and confidence.
“The basic requirement is the capacity of the LGUs to implement projects – their sufficiency of construction equipment and availability of skilled and well-experienced engineers” the statement quoted him saying.
By Roy Ramos
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.