Simunul modern town hall nearing completion

COTABATO CITY – The municipal hall project in Tawi-Tawi’s historic island town of Simunul is nearing completion.

According to Minister of the Interior and Local Government Atty Naguib G Sinarimbo, the Municipal Hall project in Tawi-Tawi's historic island municipality of Simunul is nearing completion and will be inaugurated soonest.

This infrastructure project, funded by the BARMM Contingency Fund 2020, is part of the Ministry's Local Government Facilities Development (LGFD) Program, which aims to improve the services of constituent local government units in the BARMM.

To put context in the story, it should be noted that Islam was first introduced in Tawi-Tawi, the country’s southernmost province, also known as the “Cradle of Islam, in 1930 by Sheikh Karimul Makhdum who also built the country’s first Mosque.

Masjid Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, now named after the Arab missionary, is the Philippines’ oldest mosque located in Tubig Indangan in the island municipality of Simunul.

In 2013, then Pres. Benigno Aquino III singed RA 10573, declaring Masjid Sheikh Karimul Makhdum a national historical landmark, a must see for history buffs and Muslim faithful in the country.

The new town hall is intended to help Simunul, a previous recipient of an SGLG award, enhance its performance even more, according to Minister Sinarimbo.