Villagers in Maguindanao del Norte town benefit from humanitarian mission

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February 12, 2026 | 8:25pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — More than a thousand marginalized ethnic Iranun villagers in Barira town in Maguindanao del Norte availed of free medical, dental and other essential health interventions during a multi-sector relief mission in the municipality on Wednesday, February 11.

The former enclave of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has a peace accord now with the national government, is in Barangay Tugaig in the highland Barira town, where MILF guerillas and state military forces figured in deadly clashes in decades past.

Local executives, among them Barira Mayor Abdul Rauf Tomawis, confirmed to reporters on Thursday that 1,384 villagers from across their municipality benefited from Wednesday's joint outreach mission of the offices of Maguindanao Del Norte Gov. Tucao Mastura and Vice Gov. Marshall Sinsuat and different divisions of the provincial government and peace-advocacy entities in the province.

Officials of units under the Navy’s 1st Marine Brigade, securing Maguindanao del Norte’s adjoining Parang, Barira, Matanog and Buldon towns, helped facilitate the outreach mission of the two provincial officials, according to Tomawis and traditional Iranun community leaders in barangays under his jurisdiction.

Local executives, among them Islamic preachers, told reporters that Marine servicemen gave more than 50 children from poor Iranun families free haircuts as part of the activity.

Health workers, led by physicians, provided 364 Barira residents with medicines for various illnesses and food rations during the outreach mission.

Sinsuat and Mastura, running mates during the May 12, 2025 elections, separately told reporters that they are thankful to the Marines and the local government unit of Barira for supporting their pro-poor initiative in the municipality, some 50 kilometers from Cotabato City, the regional capital of the Bangsamoro region.

Local officials said the provincial government of Maguindanao del Norte gave out a dozen wheelchairs for persons with disabilities and elderly Barira residents during the day-long event.

“Our governor intends to replicate such activity in other towns in Maguindanao del Norte,” Sinsuat said.

Major Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, covering all of Maguindanao del Norte’s 12 towns, said their units in the province shall help push forward Mastura and Sinsuat’s upcoming joint humanitarian engagements in other areas under their jurisdiction.