COTABATO CITY (September 22, 2025) — The Lamitan City government distributed on Saturday, September 20, construction materials to families whose houses were damaged by the Tropical Storm Wipha, or Bagyong Crising, that ravaged the Philippines and other Asian countries last July.
Radio reports on Monday, September 22, stated that the construction materials, comprised of corrugated galvanized sheets, plywood and other supplies, costing no less than P200,000, were procured by the office of Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Herrera Furigay using funds earmarked for disaster reduction and mitigation initiatives.
Employees of the Lamitan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, operating under Mayor Furigay’s direct supervision, facilitated the delivery on Saturday of the construction materials to the owners of at least 40 houses in 20 barangays in Lamitan City that were destroyed by Bagyong Crising.
Lamitan City, now touted as one of the new investment hubs in the island province of Basilan in the Bangsamoro region, covers more that 40 barangays with mixed Muslim and Christian residents.
The local government unit of Lamitan City had received, in the past seven years, six Seal of Good Local Governance Award, or SGLG, from the central office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
The DILG’s yearly grant of SGLG to deserving municipalities, cities and provinces is premised on good performance of recipient local government units and efficient management of peace, security and socio-economic programs benefitting constituent-communities.
The DILG does not give out SGLG to nominated local government units whose officials have issues with the Commission on Audit, the Ombudsman, or are involved in criminal activities.