DONATED COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT. Bangsamoro Transition Authority Deputy Speaker Yasser Sema (extreme left) accepts the PHP27 million worth of information and communication equipment from officials of the European- funded SUBATRA program supporting good governance in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on March 2, 2022. The donated equipment is expected to enhance the capacity and skills of the BARMM employees to deliver good services. (Photo courtesy of Bangsamoro Information Office - BARMM) MANILA - The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Liaison Office in Metro Manila (BLOMM) received PHP3 million worth of support equipment from the European Union (EU), Support to Bangsamoro Transition (SUBATRA) said on Tuesday. Christoph Wagner, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, graced the ceremonial turnover of the communication equipment on Monday at the BLOMM headquarters in Makati City. Among the provided equipment are computer desktops, laptops, printers, and peripherals. BLOMM Director Gafur Arami Kanain is grateful for the EU's assistance that can be useful to the Bangsamoro government's operations during the BARMM's transition period. "We thank the EU for providing us with equipment assistance, which will help BLOMM provide critical administrative and technical support to the Chief Minister and other BARMM officials while on official business in Metro Manila," he said in a news release. Wagner likewise said the "EU is pleased to support BLOMM in carrying out its coordination function in Manila." Wagner earlier recognized the importance of "evidence-based planning, decision-making, and strategic communication in this crucial stage of the transition period in BARMM." Thus, "this equipment will support the timely and smooth delivery of interventions during the transition period," he added. The latest assistance is part of the PH1.5 billion EU-supported SUBATRA Programme with co-funding from Spain, which was started in July 2020 and will run until June 2025. AECID (the Spanish Development Cooperation Agency), the United Nations Office for Project Services, and the Particip - KAS Consortium are among the implementing partners of the SUBATRA Programme. On March 1, the EU delegation also turned over more than PHP27 million worth of equipment to the Bangsamoro Government. (PNA) }